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The following is an excerpt taken from
MIT's Affirmative Action Plan 1996-97
(Section X).
The Institute does not discriminate against any employee, or applicant for employment, on the basis of physical or mental disability in the administration of its employment policies and practices, including job application procedures, hiring, promotion, demotion, or transfer, recruitment and recruitment advertising, layoff, discipline, termination, rates of pay and other forms of compensation, selection for training programs, or any other term, condition, or privilege of employment. The Institute, through its affirmative action program, seeks to expand its efforts to guarantee equality of opportunity in employment, to encourage qualified persons with disabilities to seek careers at MIT, and to provide them with new opportunities for career development which both stimulate and respond to their changing interests and aspirations. To these ends, the Institute shall make every reasonable effort toward removing architectural and communicative barriers in the physical environment at MIT to allow access by persons with disabilities to Institute resources and to promote their participation in the life of the MIT community. Responsibility for accomplishing the objectives stated in this policy, and for establishing an atmosphere that fosters mutual understanding and respect for all those who work and study at MIT, rests with supervisors at all levels and with every person having administrative responsibility within the Institute. Overall responsibility for MIT's affirmative action program has been assigned to Joan F. Rice, the Vice President for Human Resources, who has been designated the Institute's Equal Opportunity Officer. Ultimately, the accomplishment of these objectives depends on the understanding, acceptance, support, and involvement of all members of the MIT community. The Plan, the commitment it affirms, and the policies it proclaims have my full personal agreement and support. Charles M. Vest The success of MIT's affirmative action program depends on the understanding, acceptance, and support of the entire MIT community, fostered in part by an awareness of the contributions that persons with disabilities make to the workplace and the challenges they face. In order to ensure Institute-wide participation in its affirmative action
program, MIT continues to take the following steps:
The MIT Plan for Affirmative Action in the Employment of Individuals with Disabilities is an expression of our intent to provide equal opportunity for all who work at MIT, including the elimination of barriers to participation in all that MIT has to offer. The Plan reflects and affirms MIT's identity as an inclusive community, one that is enhanced and strengthened by the diversity of its members. We recognize that with respect to persons with disabilities further actions are required to increase opportunity for employment and advancement. Historically, persons with disabilities have faced various forms of discrimination in our society, based in part on stereotypes and prejudicial assumptions that do not reflect the individual ability and potential of such persons to participate in and contribute to society. It is the policy of the Institute that an individual's access to opportunities for achievement and personal fulfillment in employment must be determined solely on the basis of the person's ability, interest, and merit. As part of its program to increase opportunities for qualified persons with disabilities, MIT will disseminate its policy; engage in outreach and recruitment; endeavor to eliminate architectural barriers that impose limitations upon persons with disabilities at MIT; and provide reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities, in order to allow them equal opportunity in employment and access to the benefits and privileges of working at MIT. This document articulates our Plan of Action with respect to persons with disabilities, describes the affirmative action efforts currently under way, and identifies general objectives and specific responsibilities for expanding these efforts. Personnel Policies and Procedures The following procedures are intended to reflect MIT's policy on equal
opportunity and affirmative action with respect to persons with
disabilities:
The Coordinator of Disability Services continues to review the Institute's
procedures and practices to ensure compliance with the Acts and their
implementing regulations. Goals and objectives for 1996-97 include:
Goals and objectives for 1996-97 include:
In order to ensure that access to Institute facilities and programs is provided for individuals with disabilities, MIT performs an ongoing review and implementation of the Institute facility accessibility plan, which includes identification of existing architectural, communication, and other physical barriers that limit accessibility of facilities to persons with disabilities. MIT applies accessibility standards to all renovation and to the design and development of new facilities and provides auxiliary aids, services, and guides to help individuals with disabilities at MIT. Goals and objectives for 1996-97 include:
Responsibilities for Implementation While overall responsibility for development, coordination, and implementation of the Affirmative Action Plan rests with the Equal Opportunity Officer and the Coordinator of Disability Services, each department will be accountable for taking the necessary action to aid the Institute in meeting the Plan's objectives, in a manner which fosters understanding, acceptance, and support among supervisors and employees at all levels. The following departments and persons provide particular assistance and support: Personnel Office The Personnel Offices on campus and at Lincoln Laboratory are responsible for reviewing, on an ongoing basis, employment policies and procedures to ensure that such practices do not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities, and that such practices provide affirmative action for employment and advancement of qualified individuals with disabilities. Employment practices include, but are not limited to, recruitment, hiring, promotion, training, layoff, compensation, termination, leaves, benefits, and other employment-related activities and privileges. To carry out these responsibilities, the Personnel Offices, in conjunction
with other departments and offices, perform the outreach and recruitment
practices described in detail above, and practice the personnel policies and
procedures described previously. In addition, the Personnel Offices take the
following measures:
Senior Officers; Department Heads; Directors of Offices, Laboratories, and Centers Senior officers, department heads and directors of offices, laboratories, and centers apprise supervisors of their responsibility to take affirmative action to employ and promote qualified individuals with disabilities at all levels, both in academic and nonacademic employment. Appointing Supervisors for Academic or Nonacademic Employees Appointing supervisors are responsible for ensuring that their employment policies and practices are nondiscriminatory and provide affirmative action for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. Such practices include hiring, promotion, layoff, termination, and other employment-related issues described in detail above. The Disability Services Office is responsible for the development of effective disability services and programs for the Institute. These services include physical and communication access, academic accommodations, and identification and the implementation of reasonable accommodation for employees and students. This office will also facilitate committees that address the development of concrete plan goals and strategies to foster and promote equal access to services, opportunities and benefits at MIT. The Coordinator for Disability Services will conduct forums/meetings with students, administrators, faculty members, and staff on disability issues. The Coordinator for Disability Services serves as liaison to outside related governmental and professional agencies and associations relative to disability issues. Planning Office and Physical Plant Department The Planning Office and the Physical Plant Department, working in conjunction, are responsible for taking appropriate action toward making facilities on the MIT campus accessible to, and usable by, persons with disabilities. As part of these efforts, these offices should enlist the advice and knowledge of persons with disabilities to determine the most effective approaches toward making MIT barrier-free. To ensure that all members of the MIT community and visitors have access to MIT facilities on campus, the Planning Office and the Physical Plant Department will continue to implement the accessibility policies described above, incorporate and implement new federal or state regulations governing accessibility as they are enacted, and regularly evaluate adequacy of access of persons with visual or ambulatory limitations to existing facilities, at each work location within MIT where disabled individuals are referred and employed. Appropriate offices at Lincoln Laboratory will also carry out these responsibilities. Safety Office The Safety Offices on campus and at Lincoln Laboratory will advise supervisors on safety aspects of job qualifications, determine whether a particular work setting has any physical hazards unique to an individual with a particular disability, and suggest reasonable accommodations to be made to eliminate any direct threat to the safety of employees or others. The Safety Office, when requested by supervisors, will also ascertain that features of the working and learning environment at the Institute are safe. Where deficiencies exist, steps will be taken by supervisors to ensure personal safety. The Safety Office will encourage employees and students with disabilities who become aware of unsafe conditions to report these to their immediate supervisor or advisor, who will contact the Safety Office. Medical Department The Medical Department may assist in conducting employee medical examinations and/or inquiries permissible under current state and federal regulations and is responsible for developing and implementing internal procedures in compliance with these legal regulations. All medical-related information will be considered part of the individual's confidential medical record and will be subject to Medical Department policies regarding release of medical information. Specific information regarding restrictions on work or duties of an employee, and necessary accommodations, may be shared with supervisors and managers; first aid and safety personnel may be informed, when appropriate, if a disability might require emergency treatment or if any specific procedures are needed in the case of fire or other evacuations; to the extent required by law or regulation, relevant information may be provided to state and federal officials investigating compliance with laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability. The Personal Assistance Program within the Social Work service of the Medical Department will also assist MIT employees and students with disabilities by providing counseling and advice in dealing with the emotional and social consequences of disability. Purchasing Offices Institute Purchasing Offices will:
Public Relations Services The Office of Public Relations Services, including the News Office, will continue to assist in developing community awareness at MIT of issues relating to persons with disabilities. As part of this effort, the News Office periodically includes articles in Tech Talk on relevant topics, such as accomplishments and challenges of individual employees and students and innovative accommodations. Applicants and Employees Applicants for employment and employees with disabilities covered under this
Plan are encouraged to:
Applicants and employees with disabilities who believe that the provisions of
Section 503 or 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with
Disabilities Act have been violated, or who have complaints of discrimination
arising under Institute policies on the employment of qualified individuals with
disabilities, are encouraged to seek recourse through the internal grievance
procedures as described in Policies and Procedures: A Guide for Faculty and
Staff Members, and in the MIT Personnel Policy Manual.
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