Outreach and Education
The Commission's mandate to eliminate and prevent discrimination through
education and advocacy continues to be an important part of our work. During
FY 91, the Commission fulfilled requests for 47 non-housing presentations,
28 for the public sector and 19 for the private sector. This outreach was
made possible by the participation of professional staff in scheduling and
preparing for these events.
Agency staff is trained and available to present programs ranging from an
explanation of the agency's jurisdiction and services to specific topics
such as preventing sexual harassment, non-discriminatory employee selection,
preventing age discrimination, and fair housing practices. In addition,
staff responds to hundreds of calls and letters asking for general and specific
information on civil rights and related topics. Consultations with employers
and landlords on non-discriminatory practices are also provided upon request.
Regularly-scheduled publications produced in FY 91 include the Annual
Report, three issues of the newsletter, the Communicator, and
Case Reports Volumes IX and X. A brochure, "Sexual Harassment
in the Workplace: It's Against the Law" was published in cooperation
with the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women, Department of Human Rights,
and has been widely distributed. Three new video training programs were
acquired: 'Taking a Stand," "Race and Sex Discrimination in the
Workplace: What You Need to Know," and "Age Discrimination: No
Gray Areas." These films are used in presentations or are available
for loan.