Peter David Blanck
1994
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This report examines the employment practices of Sears, Roebuck and Company, before and after the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). By studying the corporate behavior of Sears, which employs an estimated 20,000 people with disabilities, the report attempts to stimulate discussion of the communication issues that Sears and other companies face regarding ADA implementation and identify the implications of Sears' ADA-related experiences, policies, and philosophy for other companies as they attempt to meet and transcend ADA compliance. The following implications are drawn from Sears' experiences: (1) the impact of the ADA on American business is evolutionary, not revolutionary; (2) universal design and access, not retrofitted technology, fulfill the objective of including people with and without disabilities in productive work force participation; (3) education of management about the ADA and capabilities of people with disabilities must not be based on paternalism or myths; (4) companies can look beyond compliance to transcendence by fostering independence and providing meaningful career opportunities; and (5) the ADA can provide a framework for dispute avoidance and resolution. Special features in the report describe information technology needs and placement of individuals with visual impairments and hidden disabilities. Appendices offer statistical data on the Sears workforce with disabilities and a list of employment and information technology resources.
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED378732.pdf
Peter Blanck. (1994). Communicating the Americans with Disabilities Act, Transcending Compliance: A Case Report on Sears, Roebuck, and Co. The Annenberg Washington Program in Communications Policy Studies of Northwestern University, Washington, D.C.
Keywords: ADA Title I, Americans with Disabilities Act, accommodations, employment