{"id":2233,"date":"2014-04-26T14:27:27","date_gmt":"2014-04-26T12:27:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hb-themes.com\/themes\/highend_wp\/?page_id=2233"},"modified":"2024-12-10T13:29:25","modified_gmt":"2024-12-10T18:29:25","slug":"faq__trashed-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/faq\/","title":{"rendered":"FAQ"},"content":{"rendered":"
Providing support for an individual with a disability will look a lot like the support you provide for all of your employees. Best Buddies Jobs will assist with training initially and then natural supports within the workplace will be identified. Natural supports are employees or supervisors that are available to answer questions and model problem solving and new tasks. Just like when any new person starts, your employee will find a person that they feel comfortable asking for help.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Absolutely! The person hired should be able to complete the functions of the job with accommodations if needed. Research actually shows that people with disabilities are a productive and effective solution to hiring needs.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
The individual will be matched to a position where they will be effective and safe. Appropriate training and support will ensure the individual understands and adheres to all safety protocols.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Insurance policies cover all employees regardless of their race, gender or disability so companies should not raise your rates based on your employee demographics.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Research reveals that consumers tend to favor companies that hire people with disabilities. People see this as a positive reflection of their community.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Hiring individuals with disabilities can help to make your workplace culture more diverse and inclusive. Feedback from most employers is that employee morale is boosted when they hire our participants. We also offer Diversity and Inclusion training materials to share with the staff to help them to better understand how to work with these individuals successfully.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Studies show that people with disabilities are dependable, motivated, and have a very high retention rate along with a low rate of absenteeism. Once they have found the right job, they will likely be there for a very long time. Best Buddies has participants that have been with the same employer for over 20 years!<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Most accommodations can be made with existing materials and Best Buddies Jobs can assist with this. If any expense is incurred, it will likely benefit all employees\/customers either immediately or down the road.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
There are tax credits that reduce tax liability when you hire someone with a disability. The tax credits are for individual employees, so the more people with disabilities your company hires, the more incentives you will receive during tax time.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
e-Buddies creates social inclusion and friendships for people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in a virtual space.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
e-Buddies participants are individuals with and without IDD that range in age from 13 to older adults. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Individuals with and without intellectual\/developmental disabilities (IDD) develop friendships through virtual communication. e-Buddies members are matched in one-to-one friendships and invited to engage in our virtual events and participate in the e-Buddies Community via our platform.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
A great way to continue to develop friendships virtually. In this space, you can interact with other e-Buddies through discussion posts, Q&As, and interest groups.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
These are fun events like trivia and movie nights offered to our e-Buddies community.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Participants with and without IDD are matched in an online friendship based on age, similar interests, and different geographic areas. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Best Buddies is dedicated to ensuring the safety and privacy of all our participants. All applicants are screened and must agree to the Code of Conduct terms before participating. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Please complete our application here<\/a>. Or, visit https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/what-we-do\/ebuddies\/<\/a> and click on JOIN e-BUDDIES<\/a>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t e-Buddies staff will quickly begin to process your application. Please know that it can take some time until your application is approved. Once your application is approved, you will receive an invitation to join our e-Buddies Community platform and can start attending our virtual events. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t At e-Buddies, we understand that technology is integral to modern society, providing access to many social and creative outlets. By participating in e-Buddies, members develop technology literacy skills and become more confident communicating online. This allows our participants to become more well-versed in this ever-changing mode of communication and socialization, which will help them be better prepared for what the future brings.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t In middle schools, high schools, and colleges, Best Buddies operates as a student-run friendship club, which creates buddy pairs between students with and without disabilities.\u00a0Best Buddies helps to create an inclusive school climate for students and a community culture of acceptance.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t By joining\u00a0Best Buddies, you will become part of a growing movement of people with and without disabilities, dedicated to ensuring everyone has the opportunity to have a friend. Students with and without disabilities are invited to serve as chapter leaders who plan events and engaging opportunities for members. At least four group activities are held each year both in school and outside of school.\u00a0 Some examples are pizza parties, bowling outings, kickball games, and ice cream socials. Each chapter determines their own activities based on availability of the members.\u00a0 Most importantly, members will be \u201cmatched\u201d in a one-to-one friendship with another student from their middle\/high school or peer-aged participant in the community at the college level.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t As a matched member, you make a commitment to contact your buddy once a week; this can be by talking in school, connecting by phone, text, or email. Also, buddy pairs will make plans to get together twice a month.\u00a0 Many buddy pairs enjoy eating lunch together, going to school sporting events together, or hanging out after school.\u00a0 The purpose of Best Buddies is to foster natural friendships between two people.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Best Buddies program staff, a faculty advisor, and a special education advisor work together to provide the support and information needed to facilitate strong and lasting relationships.\u00a0In colleges that do not have students with disabilities on campus, members are matched with adults in their community who have intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). When a school is matched with community participants, a host site coordinator (who works with adults that have IDD) provides support.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t There is no individual cost to joining Best Buddies. There is a $350 annual chapter dues cost to high school and college chapters; however, chapters raise this fee through grants, donations, and school fundraisers. Keep in mind that just like any other friendship, if the buddy pairs decide to get together outside of school, each student is responsible for his\/her own spending money and transportation.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t