Discrimination in the Workplace

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  Course Title:  Career Education Services for Students with Disabilities 8

  Course Number: 9603180

  Career Cluster: Additional CTE Programs

  CIP Number: S9900005SN

  Course Type: Career Preparatory

  CTE Standards or benchmarks:

  • Focus 47.05 Understand disability discrimination and harassment in the workplace.

  • Supporting 45.04  Understand steps that may be taken when rights have been violated.

   

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson serves as a foundational component within a broader unit on self-determination and job accommodations. It provides students with essential knowledge about the nature of discrimination, legal protections, and the importance of fostering an inclusive environment in the workplace. Students can also apply this understanding to subsequent lessons related to self-advocacy and legal rights.

   

• Career Connection

  
  

  The purpose of this lesson is to help students understand disability discrimination in the workplace which is a very relevant topic in many career fields. By analyzing disability scenarios, students will gain a deeper understanding of the impact of discrimination on individuals and organizations. 

   

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • Summarize and analyze case scenarios of disability discrimination in the workplace.
  • Describe the impact of disability discrimination in the workplace. 
  • Explain possible legal and ethical consequences of disability discrimination.
  • Suggest ways to address the situation and create a more inclusive and equitable workplace.

   

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be familiar with:

  • a general understanding of what discrimination is.
  • basic knowledge of some laws and regulations that protect people with disabilities, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and reasonable accommodations. 
  • basic knowledge of ethics and strategies to address discrimination in the workplace.

   

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  • How do laws like American Disabilities Act protect people with disabilities in the workplace?
  • What are some ways that employers can accommodate employees with disabilities to ensure that they can perform their job duties?

   

• Procedure

  
  

  1. To introduce the lesson, ask students if they know what discrimination is. Provide a general definition of discrimination and ask for examples from the students. 

  • Prompt them to identify instances of direct discrimination when someone is treated differently due to their disability.
  • Ask the students to think about the term, indirect discrimination when a rule applies to all employees but negatively affects a certain group. Help students understand how indirect discrimination can still be discriminatory to enhance their comprehension.
  • Review the lesson objectives and explain that the lesson will focus on a specific type of discrimination: disability discrimination in the workplace. Ask if anyone has heard of disability discrimination before, and briefly explain what it is and how it can impact people with disabilities.

  2. Divide students into small groups.

  • Distribute the Disability Discrimination Scenarios Handout (see attachments) and assign a different scenario to each group to ensure all scenarios are addressed.
  • Encourage students to discuss scenarios within their groups and suggest ways to address the situation. 

  3. Pass out a Discrimination Scenario Analyzing Guide (see attachments) to each student. Instruct groups to analyze their assigned scenarios using the guide.

  • The students can access a computer or approved electronic device to research for laws, reasonable accommodations, and possible recommendations.
  • Help students understand that reasonable accommodations are changes made to the work enviroment to allow a person with a disability to carry out their work. 
  • Emphasize the importance of promoting equal opportunities in the workplace.
  • Explain the concept inclusive environment and remind them that an inclusive workplace embraces diversity and ensures that all employees, including those with disabilities, feel welcome and valued. Encourage students to share strategies for creating an inclusive environment.

  4. Allow time to complete their analysis and discussion.

  5. Bring the class together and ask each group to share their analysis and recommendations with the class.

  6. To bring the lesson to a close, have the students recap the lesson's key points and emphasize the importance of recognizing and addressing disability discrimination in the workplace.

  • Ask students to connect the vocabulary terms to the concepts discussed throughout the lesson in their reflection on what they learned by answering questions as an exit ticket:
    • What is one thing that you learned today about disability discrimination in the workplace?
    • How do you think you can help prevent disability discrimination in your future workplace?

   

• Teacher Notes

  
  
  • It is possible that in the group discussion, a student expresses an unconscious bias. It is crucial that if this happens, the teacher responds in a way that the error becomes a learning opportunity for the group.
  • Alternate Closing Activity- Journal reflection- Encourage students to keep a journal to reflect on what they have learned and how it has impacted their understanding of disability discrimination in the workplace.

   

• Optional

  
  

  Formative Assessment Ideas

  • Discrimination Scenario Analyzing Guide - can be used as the formative Assessment to evaluate students' decisions on how to address the disability discrimination.
  • Exit tickets can be used by the teacher to determine students' comprehension of the vocabulary terms. 

  Extension Ideas

  • Special Project- Students can draft an action Plan for creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace.
  • Portfolio- Ask students to create a portfolio or reflection that demonstrates their learning and understanding of the topic of disability in the workplace. This can include examples, personal experiences, and how they plan to use their knowledge to advocate for the rights of workers with disabilities.
  • Conduct Interviews-Students can conduct interviews of people with disabilities who work or have worked, to gain insight into their experiences with discrimination.
  • Resource guide- Students can create a resource guide for employers and employees on preventing and addressing disability discrimination.