Disability Awareness Flashcards

Front 1

A person with mental retardation lives on her own but requires frequent assistance from family, friends, and neighbors. She needs help cleaning her apartment, grocery shopping, cooking, paying bills, and getting to appointments. She reads at the 3rd grade level and needs someone to read her mail.

Is she considered “disabled” under ADA?

Back 1

Answer: Yes. Major life activities are substantially limited compared to most individuals.

Front 2

An applicant looks as if she has Down’s Syndrome, but she does not. Most interviewers assume she has mental retardation.

Is she considered “disabled” under ADA?

Back 2

Answer: Yes, a person who is treated as if she has a disability qualifies under ADA.

Front 3

A person with Autism and mental retardation is hired. What steps might you take to help ensure this person’s success? Select all that apply.
a. Give instructions at a slower pace;
b. Give the employee more time to finish training;
c. Photograph all the steps in the process and use the pictures to illustrate written, step-by-step instructions.
d. Assign the employee to a workstation farther away from distractions.

Back 3

Answer: all (a,b,c,d,). All are good solutions to meeting the needs of individuals with retardation and Autism. Choice D (moving the employee) may be especially applicable in cases of team members with Autism, who tend to be less social and more easily disturbed by sensory overload.

Front 4

In an interview an applicant explains that the break in his work history was due to a period when he was combating cancer. He says that he is currently in remission and is able to fulfill all the duties of a General Warehouse team member.

Is this applicant considered “disabled” under ADA?

Back 4

Answer: Yes. Most courts have ruled that cancer is a disability. Even if the individual is currently cancer-free, this qualifies as having a record of the disability.

Front 5

You are greeting an applicant who is a disabled veteran with a missing right hand. What is the courteous way to greet him?
a. Offer your left hand so he can shake hands with his left.
b. Offer your right hand, as usual.
c. Tap him on the shoulder.
d. Say hello but do not make any gesture.

Back 5

Answer: a. Offer your left hand, so he can shake hands with his left.

Front 6

You are interviewing an applicant who has been doing source tagging work in your center through a disability enclave. The applicant has mental retardation, and his coach is present at the interview. When you ask a question, the coach helps interpret it for the applicant. To whom should you address your questions?
a. To the applicant
b. To the coach
c. To both. Look at the coach when starting the question, and complete the question looking at the applicant.

Back 6

Answer: a. Always address your questions directly to the applicant, even if a coach or sign language interpreter is present.

Front 7

What is the correct way to refer to people who require wheelchairs for mobility?

Back 7

Answer: “Person who uses a wheelchair.” NOT: wheelchair-bound, or “confined to a wheelchair”

Front 8

You will be teaching a Disability Awareness class. What terminology should you use to describe individuals with a condition such as Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, or Depression?

Back 8

Answer: a person with a psychiatric disability (or a mental illness)

Front 9

Which is the proper way to describe the disability status of team members?
a. “Disabled team members”
b. “Team members with disabilities”
c. “Medically challenged team members”
d. “Team members” (It is a violation of etiquette to refer to a person’s disability.)

Back 9

Answer: b

Front 10

Identify three things you can do to improve communication with people who have cognitive disabilities?

Back 10

Answer: (any three of the following) Speak at a slower pace; avoid excess words; ask only one question at a time; allow the person more time to process questions and respond. Also accept: have someone present to help interpret the content for the trainee; use more visuals (pictures, photos, illustrations, text) to clarify meaning.

Front 11

Your DC has just hired an individual who has mental retardation. What steps should the DC take to ensure her safety in the event of an emergency evacuation?

Back 11

Answer: Set up “buddy teams” (more than one buddy) to help the person out of the building. Also provide sufficient drills, so everyone is familiar with what to do.

Front 12

The Shipping Function Manager has a new team member, who recently completed training. This team member has Autism. He saw the new team member making several errors in loading a truck—errors that could lead to damaged merchandise. He does not know how to handle the situation without causing an ADA complaint. What should he do?
a. Praise the team member’s performance and slip the correction into a “by the way” comment so as not to upset the team member.
b. Start the disciplinary process and warn the team member about potential dismissal unless there is improvement.
c. Schedule an interim performance review at the 45-day mark and then go over the problems as part of the review.
d. Explain to the team member what to do instead.

Back 12

Answer: d. People with Autism need frank feedback, the sooner, the better, so that the incorrect behaviors don’t become routines that are hard to break. This is a new hire, so jumping into a disciplinary process would be inappropriate. The individual should received feedback and coaching, like any other new team member. With Autism, it’s also best to emphasize what to do, not what to avoid doing, so that you focus the person’s attention on the positive behavior you want to reinforce, not the negative one you are trying to extinguish.

Front 13

Fred, a team member with Autism, has been working in S/C Picking for about 5 months. At the beginning of his shift he is highly productive, but about 2 hours into the shift, his rate starts slowing, and it tends to get slower and slower until his break, when it picks up again. His FM says that if his productivity doesn’t pick up, Fred may lose his job. What should you advise?
a. Try shorter, more frequent breaks and see if that helps. Or call Vocational Rehabilitation to see if a sit/stand stool may relieve the problem.
b. Start the constructive discipline process immediately.
c. Retrain him.
d. Accept his lower performance as a necessary accommodation to his disability.

Back 13

Answer: a. If he is able to reach the standard when he is refreshed, he does not need training. But he may need some accommodation to relieve physical fatigue. More frequent breaks or a sit/stand stool may keep him productive. Companies are not required to lower their operational requirements in order to employ people with disabilities.

Front 14

Susan is a recent hire who suffers from occasional bouts of pain and dizziness due to ovarian cysts. During these bouts she calls in sick. Are her absences protected under ADA?
a. Yes.
b. No.

Back 14

Answer: b. The courts have ruled that an “occasional” condition is not a disability under ADA. ADA applies to conditions that last at least several months.

Front 15

In the interview an applicant explains a break in her work history by saying that she went through a period of clinical depression, but now has it under control with medication. She is qualified for the job in all other respects. How should you handle this situation?
a. Reject the applicant because her past history makes her a poor risk. She is not protected under ADA because her medicine is a “mitigating measure.”
b. Hire the applicant because she is protected by ADA.
c. Hire the applicant if she passes the reference check and drug test because she is protected by ADA.
d. Disregard the information altogether. ADA is not a relevant factor.

Back 15

Answer: c. Although the medication is a mitigating measure, she still has protection under ADA from discrimination based on the record of a prior disability. However, you are not obligated to hire her if she is not fully qualified for the position. If she failed to pass the reference check and drug test, she would not be fully qualified.

Front 16

A new hire with Autism will be starting. How can you help this person adjust? Select all that apply.
a. Provide visuals and handouts to supplement oral training..
b. Tell the new hire, “Every day you must report to your workstation by 6:30 a.m..”
c. Prepare a written explanation of Town Hall meetings if one is scheduled for that week.
d. Make sure he is assigned a mentor who can cue him when breaks end.
e. Remind his manager to provide him prompt and honest feedback about how he is performing.

Back 16

Answers: a, c, d, e. Regarding a: People with Autism have more trouble processing oral instructions. It helps them to provide visual supports—photos, pictures, written explanations, color coding. Regarding b: It is NOT a good idea to say “every day” because there are exceptions for weekends, holidays, department meetings, etc. It is better to tell a person with Autism that the schedule “usually” applies Monday through Friday, but there will be exceptions for special meetings, and he will be notified of those changes via a daily schedule. Regarding c: People with Autism benefit by written explanations, in advance, of changes to normal routine. Regarding d: It is a good idea to provide all new hires with a mentor, and a person with Autism may need extra help recognizing when a break is over. Regarding e: It is especially important to correct problems promptly; otherwise, a person with Autism may incorporate the incorrect behavior into his routine and have a very tough time unlearning it.

Front 17

Determine which of the following statements are true and which are false:
a. A new hire is deaf but understands sign language. You should contact a sign language interpreter to assist during his initial orientation and training.
b. It is a good idea to assign a buddy to assist a person with a cognitive or physical disability out of the building in case of an emergency evacuation.
c. A new hire with a cognitive disability performed well during training, but has not performed well on the job and seems distressed and distracted. You should handle this as a poor job match and start the termination process.
d. You must obtain a signed written waiver before revealing to coworkers that a new team member has a certain disability.

Back 17

Answers: A: true. This is a reasonable accommodation.
B:false. It is a good idea to provide assistance, but it is better to use a buddy team than a single individual, who may not be available when needed.
C: false. Do not move to termination without first assessing whether the problem is related to the disability and could be resolved by a reasonable accommodation, such as a change in location or sound-blocking earphones.
D: True.