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ERIC Number: ED378732
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1994
Pages: 49
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Communicating the Americans with Disabilities Act. Transcending Compliance: A Case Report on Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Blanck, Peter David
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. (JDD)
Annenberg Washington Program, Willard Office Building, 1455 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Suite 200, Washington, DC 20004-1008 (available in alternative formats).
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Northwestern Univ., Washington, DC. Annenberg Washington Program in Communication Policy Studies.
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Americans with Disabilities Act 1990
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A