Navigating the coronavirus pandemic with a disability
Every October, King County recognizes Disability Awareness Month. On Oct. 13, the County Council officially proclaimed October as Disability Awareness Month, and this past July, King County also marked the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), signed into law in 1990. These efforts celebrate the many contributions that people with disabilities make to our community and workforce here at King County. This year, due to COVID-19, the Disability Awareness Month Committee has been developing a conversation about how people with disabilities are being impacted by the pandemic. The Committee created an interactive multimedia article, “Navigating… Read More
Join us for a conversation on the impacts of the pandemic while living with a disability
There are many different types of disabilities: physical and mental, invisible and visible, temporary and permanent. The pandemic has had a unique impact on the lives of people with all types of disabilities, bringing joy, relief, and difficulty. Join the Disability Awareness Committee, Balanced You, and the Employee Assistance Program in a live, virtual conversation on the impacts of the pandemic while livin with a disability. This conversation will feature employees with disabilities who will share their experiences and stories of living and adapting through 2020, alongside employees from Disability Services who will share… Read More
The benefits of King County’s Return-To-Work Transitional Duty Program
Getting all those tasks done at work can be a challenge, especially the “non-essential” ones that just seem to pile up. Does your team have stacks of filing sitting in boxes? Need help staffing a front desk or hotline? Have some documents ready to be scanned so you can go paperless? That’s where King County’s Transitional Duty Assignment (TDA) Program comes in. Providing light duty work to a TDA worker gives you valuable labor you don’t have to pay for while also keeping temporarily disabled workers connected to King County. It’s a win for… Read More
Reasonable Accommodations in King County Superior Court
by Linda K. Ridge, Deputy CAO, King County Superior Court Access to justice for all persons is a fundamental right; however, for individuals with a sensory, cognitive, or physical disability, this access can be filled with challenges. Implemented in 2007, Washington State General Court Rule 33 (GR 33) was designed to assure that persons with disabilities have equal and meaningful access to the judicial system. GR 33 requires courts to provide prompt response to requests for accommodation in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and the Washington State Law Against Discrimination… Read More
Disability Awareness Month: Ableism and ally-ship in the workplace
For people with disabilities, navigating a society constructed by and for people considered to have “typical” abilities can be a constant battle, and one that further entrenches the discrimination they face. According to the 2010 census, nearly 1 in 5 Americans experience disability. Some people’s disabilities are visible to others and include physical disabilities such as blindness, deafness, prosthetic limbs, or wheelchair usage. Other people’s disabilities may be less visible or not visually apparent at all, such as behavioral health conditions (depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress), Traumatic Brain Injuries, developmental and intellectual disabilities,… Read More
Recognizing 2020 Disability Awareness Month
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into law in 1990 by former U.S. President George H. W. Bush. Every October we celebrate the many contributions that people with disabilities make to our community and workforce here at King County. To honor these contributions, on Oct. 13, 2020, the King County Council officially proclaimed October 2020 as Disability Awareness Month. In a meeting held virtually to allow for safety and social distancing measures, the King County Council welcomed King County councilmembers and members of the… Read More
A Conversation on the Impacts of the Pandemic While Living with a Disability, October 29
The Disability Awareness Committee, Balanced You, and the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) are hosting a panel featuring employees with disabilities who will share their experiences and stories living through this pandemic. Resources to support employees with disabilities will also be shared during this panel discussion. All King County employees are welcome to join. Thursday, Oct. 29, from 10-11:30 a.m. Register here. If you have questions about this opportunity, please email JaChristensen@kingcounty.gov.
Building a Future that Works celebration, October 20
The U.S. Department of Labor will host a virtual celebration of the 75th annual National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The event will explore the crucial role of accessible technology in this year’s NDEAM theme of “Increasing Access and Opportunity” for people with disabilities, and the Labor Department’s work to ensure that emerging technologies are accessible to all in the workplace. Features will include insightful dialogues with thought leaders and a video showcase of the latest innovations in communications,… Read More
Media Representation of Race and Disability Lunch and Learn, October 21
The Department of Human Resources is hosting a Lunch and Learn discussion via Zoom that focus on Race and Disability. We will begin our discussion with a short captioned video and then have an open dialogue facilitated by Gloria Ngezaho, Jennifer Greenlee, Lili Stansberry, and Christina Davidson. All King County employees are welcome to join. Wednesday, Oct. 21, from noon to 1 p.m. Please email Christina.Davidson@kingcounty.gov to register for the Lunch and Learn session. You will receive an Outlook calendar meeting invite with the Zoom link post registration.
Collective care tips and emotional well-being resources for the LatinX/Hispanic community
LatinX/Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated every year from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. As LatinX/Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close, Balanced You would like to remind the LatinX community about resources available to support their emotional well-being, including spaces for celebration, joy, and connection; tips for self- and collective-care; and traditional mental health resources. Visit this Balanced You blogpost for more information.
Employee News 