Access AmeriCorps

SECTION I: Recruitment/Accommodation Practices

The following portion of the checklist reviews recommended recruitment and accommodation practices for AmeriCorps programs. Not only does it outline what you are required to do, but it also asks you to evaluate your efforts to date and provides helpful hints.

Access AmeriCorps recommends that the following steps be taken:

• Completion of this checklist
  
• Development of internal action steps to rectify issues identified as a result of the self-evaluation
  
• Development of written organization wide policies
  
• Maintenance of this self-evaluation and supporting/resulting documents on file
  
• Annual review of this self-evaluation

There may be terminology that you do not understand. Please refer to the end of the checklist for an explanation of the questions and the terminology. If you have additional questions, please call your State Commission for clarification.

1. Has your program affirmatively sought to recruit and retain qualified Members with disabilities?
   Yes _____
   No _____
   
   1. What steps have been taken to meet this goal?
      _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________
      
   2. Have you been successful?
      _______________________________________________
   3. How do you know?
      _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________

2. Do you have a written policy concerning discrimination on the basis of physical or mental disability?
   Yes _____
   No _____
   

3. Do you regularly review your recruitment practices (recruitment, training, tenure, disciplinary actions) to be certain that you, your managers, supervisors, or external consultants are non-discriminatory in the treatment of applicants and Members with disabilities?
   Yes _____
   No _____

4. Medical records must be kept in a separate location from non-medical records. Access to medical records must be limited. Are all Members' non-medical records kept in a separate place from records that contain medical information? (Medical information includes insurance application forms as well as health certificates, results of physical exams, etc.)
   Yes _____
   No _____
   
   1. Do you have a written policy regarding who has access to medical information?
      Yes _____
      No _____

5. Do your recruitment materials, including photos and ad copy, contain positive images of persons with disabilities and indicate your program's commitment to inclusion of persons with disabilities?
   Yes _____
   No _____
   

6. Are inquiries related to the presence of a disability or the possible presence of a disability that a Member or potential Member may have limited to performance of essential functions of service positions and requirements for reasonable accommodations?
   Yes _____
   No _____
   
   1. Are supervisory staff aware of what constitutes legal and illegal inquiries?
      Yes _____
      No _____
      
   2. If 'yes', how did they obtain this information? Describe. For example, did they participate in a training session? read relevant literature? etc.
      _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________
   3. Have service descriptions been analyzed to determine which functions of a Member's service are 'essential' and which are 'marginal'?
      Yes _____
      No _____

      If 'yes', describe the process for doing this.
      _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________
      

   4. Are service descriptions in writing?
      Yes _____
      No _____
      
   5. Are any of the following questions asked during the recruitment or application process? (Please circle)
      
      1. Health or physical condition
         Yes _____
         No _____
         
      2. Physical or mental problems or disabilities
         Yes _____
         No _____
         
      3. Medical history
         Yes _____
         No
      4. Previous workers' compensation claims
         Yes _____
         No _____
         
      5. Prior health insurance claims
         Yes _____
         No _____
         
      6. Past drug use or substance abuse
         Yes _____
         No _____
         

7. Do you require that applicants for AmeriCorps positions take any of the following tests as part of the application process? (Please circle)
   
   1. Drug or alcohol test
      Yes _____
      No _____
      
   2. HIV tests
      Yes _____
      No _____
      
   3. Skill or performance tests
      Yes _____
      No _____
      
   4. Psychological tests
      Yes _____
      No _____
      
   5. Intelligence tests
      Yes _____
      No _____

8. Do you have a substance abuse policy?
   Yes _____
   No _____
   

9. Do you have a Member drug testing policy?
   Yes _____
   No _____
   

10. It is required that reasonable accommodation be provided to Members with disabilities. Reasonable accommodation includes a broad range of adaptations to the manner or circumstances in which a service activity is performed, an interview is conducted, etc.
    

    Reasonable accommodation might include:
    

    • allowing an individual with a psychiatric disability to periodically leave early or arrive late and later make up that time
      
    • making structural modifications to accommodate a participant who uses a wheelchair
      
    • providing auxiliary aids and services including sign language interpreters, readers (for people who do not read print due to a disability) or providing material in alternative format such as Braille, ASCII disk, etc.
    1. Have Members and applicants been informed that they are entitled to reasonable accommodations?
       Yes _____
       No _____
       
    2. If 'yes', how have they been so informed?
       _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________
       
    3. Are reasonable accommodations provided to AmeriCorps Members with disabilities?
       Yes _____
       No _____
       
    4. How do you know?
       _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________
       
    5. Has a written reasonable accommodations policy been developed?
       Yes _____
       No _____
       
    6. Do supervisory staff know how to proceed if an accommodation is requested?
       Yes _____
       No _____
       
    7. Has a specific supervisory staff member been designated to coordinate reasonable accommodation, including determining when an accommodation is or is not reasonable and when a funding request will be made of the Commission? (Note: This is not required, but recommended.)
       Yes _____
       No _____
       
    8. Do they know how to secure a sign language interpreter if necessary?
       Yes _____
       No _____
       
    9. Do they know how to get material transcribed into Braille, recorded on audio cassette, or placed diskette in text format?
       Yes _____
       No _____
       
11. Are, as a matter of policy, interviews, Member/staff meetings and other gatherings held in accessible locations? (Accessible locations include accessible entrances, meeting areas, and rest rooms.)
    Yes _____
    No _____
    
12. Are off-site Member/staff training's, holiday parties, picnics or other gatherings held in accessible locations?
    Yes _____
    No _____
    
13. Are reasonable accommodations, including sign language interpreters, written materials in alternative format, etc. provided to individuals with disabilities at off-site meetings, training's, and social events?
    Yes _____
    No _____