November 15, 2012 Kenneth Colangelo

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Tunxis Community College has developed a new “Disability Awareness, Inclusion and Accessibility” training workshop to help organizations enhance their responsiveness to the needs of customers with physical and mental disabilities.

“The training is a tangible way for companies to demonstrate their ongoing commitment to providing excellent service while keeping abreast of how to best support this growing and diverse population,” said Marcy Cain, business & industry associate for Tunxis Community College’s Workforce Development and Continuing Education Division.

More than 56 million Americans live with some type of disability, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 count—or approximately one in every five people.

The workshop covers topics such as stereotypes and stigma about disabilities, guidelines for interaction with people with disabilities, barriers to accessibility and inclusion, and requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A key focus of the workshop includes the need to treat those with disabilities with respect and dignity— as capable individuals who can make decisions and take action on their own behalf.

The Town of Farmington was the first to enroll in the new workshop in October. “This training provided both line workers and management supervisors with a better understanding of what persons with disabilities need and expect,” said Erica Robertson, assistant town manager, Farmington, who was among a group of employees and managers who participated. “It was a successful training that met both our expectations for the session as well as our town wide strategic plan goals.”

The Tunxis workshop’s instructor, Deanne Shapiro has more than 35 years of experience in professional development and organizational effectiveness. She has conducted workforce diversity training to more than 25,000 Connecticut state employees, and spent 16 years as a trainer for a federally-funded program that provides services for people with disabilities.

For more information on this workshop and other training courses, please call Marcy Cain at 860.314.4700.

Tunxis Community College, through its Business and Industry Services unit, provides customized training and consulting services to private, public and not-for-profit organizations in the region. The College is located in Farmington, with a satellite facility in Bristol. Visit the Tunxis website at tunxis.edu.