On this Labor Day, we recognize....

...that disabled workers are always in a recession.

The National Organization on Disability honors nine companies that hire Americans with disabilities.

National Council on Disability Supports National Disability Employment Awareness Month

NEWS RELEASE

NCD #10–606

October 8, 2010

Contact: Mark S. Quigley

mquigley@ncd.gov

202-272-2004

WASHINGTON—The National Council on Disability (NCD) today recognizes National Disability Employment Awareness Month, calling on its stakeholders to redouble their efforts around improving employment outcomes for people with disabilities.

The purpose of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which occurs each October, is to educate the American public about issues related to disability and employment. The theme for this year’s observance is “Talent Has No Boundaries: Workforce Diversity Includes Workers with Disabilities.”

According to Dr. Fernando Torres-Gil, NCD Vice Chair for Policy, “National disability employment awareness should be an on-going daily activity to ensure that people with disabilities are fully represented in the workforce. Employment numbers for this segment of the population are abysmally low. More needs to be done now to put this population to work. To that end, we’re delighted that President Obama on July 26, the 20th anniversary of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act, signed an Executive Order—Increasing Federal Employment of Individuals with Disabilities, which calls on the Federal Government to become a model employer of people with disabilities.”

Ari Ne’eman, NCD Vice Chair for Engagement, had this to say, “The President’s executive order is a great first step – it is critical that the federal government serve as a model for the private sector. The services and supports structure for assisting people with significant disabilities in finding and keeping employment is in dire need of modernization, as is our nation’s approach toward post-secondary transition for students with disabilities. NCD is looking forward to working with our partners in both Congress and the executive branch to craft practical solutions to these challenges. As Congress prepares to re-authorize critical legislation such as the Workforce Investment Act and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, it is important for people with disabilities to be at the table.”

For more information, please contact NCD’s Director of Communications, Mark Quigley, at mquigley@ncd.gov or by telephone at 202-272-2004.

Man with CP harassed daily while trying to work

Just saw this story about Jamie Johnston, who has cerebral palsy and works as a sign holder outside a Halloween store in Texas. People are reporting this to Adult Protective Services , complaining to his employer , honking, and calling the police. Jamie says he just wants to work.

The video attached to the article at the above link is worth watching. The story reflects why so many people with disabilities remain unemployed.

EEOC Releases Annual Report on Federal Work Force for FY 2009

Among its findings:

...in FY 2009, for the first time since FY 1995, the percentage of people with targeted disabilities in federal jobs held steady, halting a 13-year decline. However, despite a modest net gain of 236 employees in FY 2009 over FY 2008, people with targeted disabilities still remain below one percent (0.88 percent) of the total work force. Targeted disabilities include deafness, blindness, missing extremities, partial or complete paralysis, convulsive disorders, mental retardation, mental illness, and distortion of the limb and/or spine.

You can read more here.

Kessler Foundatio/NOD survey reveals employment, education, transportation, access to health care gaps for people with disabilities

Among the survey's findings:

* 19 percent of people with disabilities said they did not get the medical care they needed in the past year, with lack of insurance coverage cited as the top reason.
* 21 percent of disabled working-age Americans had a job in the past year, versus 59 percent for those without disabilities.
* 17 percent of people with disabilities have not graduated from high school, compared to 22 percent in 2000 and 40 percent in 1986 -- the first year the survey was taken.
* 48 percent of people with disabilities eat out at a restaurant twice a month, compared to 75 percent of those without disabilities.
* 34 percent of disabled people say inadequate transportation is a problem, compared to 16 percent of those without disabilities, a gap that has widened 5 percentage points since 1986.

Students with disabilities learn work skills in adaptive garden

At one middle school in Tennessee, students with disabilities dress up for interviews and apply to work in a school garden, thanks to the efforts of staff who want to prepare them to have a hands-on experience with academic and life skills.



The students have big plans for their garden, which includes a wish list for a picnic table and a shed and even an irrigation ditch.

h/t to Woodlands Foundation via Twitter : @Woodlandsfdn
where their kids will soon be planting an adaptive garden of their own. If you'd like to make a donation, click here.

Better than a Superbowl commercial: Disabilities and Decent Work

Marlee Matlin talks about employment and people with disabilities in this PSA.



h/t Media dis&dat

The Campaign for Disability Employment: whatcanyoudocampaign.org

Watch the PSA and visit the site to see what you can do
- as an employer
-as an educator
-as a family member
-as a person with a disability and
-what we can ALL do

National Disability Employment Awareness Month: What Can We Do?

Yesterday President Obama announced new initiatives for National Disability Employment Awareness Month. These include job fairs, Town Hall meetings, creation of a task force, and the use of training and potential employer education on hiring practices related to employees with disabilities.

We as members of the disability community can participate as well. Networking with members of our community who are looking for jobs, mentoring those who are starting out in our field and helping to foster a work environment that is more welcoming to those with disabilities are a few things we can do.

We can also support these initiatives and promote others which address the sorry state of employment of people with disabilities.

Literacy program volunteer Leonardo Camargo talks about his work

Leonardo Camargo, a recent college graduate, is interviewed in this video by SCI-Peers.org about his volunteer work in literacy training. He describes how important literacy is to accessing health care, as well as his goal of obtaining employment as a result of his volunteer work.



In the next video, Leonardo talks about his college education and his accident and spinal cord injury.

US Department of Labor offers monthly statistics on employment of individuals with a disability

via US Department of Labor site:

In June 2008, questions were added to the Current Population Survey (CPS) to identify persons with a disability in the civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and older. The addition of these questions allowed BLS to begin releasing monthly labor force data from the CPS for persons with a disability. The collection of these data is sponsored by the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. Publication of CPS disability data began in February 2009 with the issuance of labor force data for January 2009. Explanatory materials are available on the frequently asked questions page. These materials provide information on comparisons with other data sources, variability of the data, and the types of data available. Additionally, links to historical data and alternate formats are located below.

You can view the statistics here.

Press release- EEOC site:

KMART SUED FOR DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION FOR FIRING GREETER WHO USED CANE

Retail Giant Punished Worker for Back Impairment, EEOC Charges

NORFOLK, Va. – National retail giant Kmart Corporation violated federal law by firing an employee because of his disability, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed yesterday under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) on behalf of a former worker who uses an assistive walking device.

The EEOC’s suit, filed in he U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Kmart Corporation, Civil Action No. 2:09CV291), asserted that around September 2004 Alonzo McGlone was hired as a greeter at a Kmart Super Center in Norfolk, Va. McGlone, who has a debilitating back impairment, uses a cane to assist him in walking and standing. The EEOC’s suit charged that McGlone was successfully performing his duties as a greeter when he was observed using his cane. According to the EEOC, McGlone was fired because of the use of his cane.

The EEOC filed suit after first attempting to reach a voluntary settlement out of court. The EEOC's lawsuit seeks reinstatement of McGlone into his former position or an equivalent one, as well as back pay, compensatory damages, and punitive damages. The EEOC also seeks an injunction ordering Kmart to institute and carry out policies, practices, and training programs which provide equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, and a work environment free from disability discrimination.

“Mr. McGlone lost his job because he needed to use an assistive device to walk,” said Herbert Brown, director of the EEOC’s Norfolk Local Office. “It is unfortunate that many employers still deny people who are ready and able the opportunity to work simply because of a disability. The EEOC will continue to fight for the rights of people victimized by such prejudices.”

During Fiscal Year 2008, disability discrimination charge filings with the EEOC nationwide rose to 19,453 -- an increase of 10 percent from the prior fiscal year and the highest level in 14 years.

Lynette A. Barnes, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Charlotte District Office, which includes the Norfolk Local Office, added, “This lawsuit is a reminder that, although we have made great strides in educating employers and the public about disability discrimination, some employers still judge applicants and employees based on a disability rather than on their proven ability to do a job.”

According to its web site, www.kmart.com, Kmart is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation. As of January 31, 2009, Holdings operated a total of 1,368 Kmart stores across 49 states, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.

Press release via site

Last to get hired, first to get fired: workers with disabilities in the recession

I ran into a friend with a disability a few weeks ago and we were talking about the unemployment situation in our country. He told me that Americans who are now unemployed and taking jobs that pay less are dealing with some situations those of us with disabilities have encountered for years.

We were remembering a friend of ours with a disability, for example, who was being paid $23,000 a year at a job when the going salary was $40,000. We have other friends who work at jobs that pay considerably less and have for many years prior to the current economic situation, having to take part time employment due to employers' fears about having to take on the costs of accommodation. This is despite studies that show the actual average cost to be very low.

Of course, my friend noted, with the unemployment rate of people with disabilities so staggeringly high, many of them don't have jobs to lose. For those who do and rely on income to support their disabilities, loss of their job or even a cutback of hours may force them to turn to programs they never had to consider before. This is an important thing to keep in mind when dealing with the country's largest minority - approximately 20 per cent of Americans are disabled and many want to work.

Last to get hired, first to get fired, were the words my friend used. And no doubt this recession is hitting those with disabilities harder on the employment front*.

The reality is that, in many instances, services and even jobs for the disabled are getting cut first. For example, 3M cut outsourcing work for those with developmental disabilities at a sheltered workshop so they could save jobs at the plant for workers. And there is a ripple effect to that.

Any number of layoffs at the sheltered workshop would create a communitywide “ripple effect,” Young said. CMSE works closely with Columbia Public Schools, helping students with disabilities transition into adulthood and learning job skills. But the current waiting list for new employees already is 30 deep, and five or six of those are former workers who gained traditional jobs but were laid off when budget axes fell.

“Usually when the economy's bad like this, they're the first to get laid off,” he said.

Community and social service agencies — and taxpayers — will feel the pinch of providing day programs and increased funding for other services if the sheltered workshop is unable to maintain at least its current level of employment, Young said.

Those running the workshop were quick to point out that they didn't want to blame 3M, but it's also important to recognize that those who work in the field agree that those with disabilities are the "last to get hired, first to get fired" - and that this approach results in an increasing demand on other resources, turning those who managed to achieve a level of independence into those who are dependent. It is these areas we need to include in a dialogue for our country as we all try to heal from the current economic downturn.





*For example, only 21 percent of the available working disabled population is employed, compared with the 65 percent of nondisabled workers.

Try - if you believe

Today a friend of mine with a disability who was unemployed for almost a year starts a new job. Kudos to her for her persistence in the face of what was often a discouraging situation, made worse by interviews held in inaccessible locations and a suggestion by the Department of Vocational Rehab that she work at a call center despite having held high level positions in her professional field. Anyhow I wanted to mark this occasion with a video tribute and share the good news that - yes - some folks are getting hired.

The video below is of the song "I'll Try" written for the animated Peter Pan 2, with a nice monologue by the songwriter included. I know there are lots of people out there facing discouraging situations of different kinds and thought I'd share it.

Increased spending on disability issues in President's budget proposal

Disability Scoop announces that increased expenditures have been proposed in the following areas of President Obama's budget: $11.5 billion for special education; $211 million for autism research and other amounts for autism awareness and early diagnosis; increase of $10 million for Office of Disability Employment Policy at US Dept of Labor; $125 million for child/teen mental health; $11.6 billion to decrease backlog of claims at Social Security Administration; $145 million to increase attorneys handling civil rights cases at US Dept of Justice; $8 million for Centers for Independent Living and other programs.

Brett volunteers

Meet Brett Carmody, a teen with Asperger's, who volunteers to get skills for future jobs.

Right now he works at the Department of Public Safety detailing fire apparatus and at Our Daily Bread, which serves lunch to low income people. Those he works with see his potential for future employment and work with him to expand his skills for future jobs. His high school teacher put him in touch with the opportunities.

Fontaine said that the public safety department is planning a major inventory project to sort through the fire equipment and make sure everything is where it's supposed to be and in good condition.

She's planning to move him into that role once she can find a mentor. He already does a similar job in the patrol cars when the weather is inclement.

Federal Employment of People with Disabilities report released

Read it and weep.

The Federal Employment of People with Disabilities Report states that barriers to federal employment remain and that the number of people with disabilities employed is low. This language is an understatement.

Take a look at the statistics following this statement. They listed the statistics of the agencies with the highest rate of employment and those came in at a range of 2.65% for EEOC down to Education, which is 1.36% (see page 7 of the report). In 2007, the number of people with targeted disabilities employed in the total workforce was under 1%. And there's more.

From FY 1998 to FY 2007, the total workforce increased by 128,973 employees, a net change of 5.20 percent. However, the number of federal employees with targeted disabilities 1 decreased from 28,035 in FY 1998 to 23,993 in FY 2007, a net loss of 14.42 percent.

The rate of leaving the workforce was twice the usual rate, which prompted those writing the report to say that it's necessary to hire at a rate that exceeds the separation rate to raise the number of people with disabilities. (employees with targeted disabilities accounted for 0.55 percent of total new hires but 0.92 percent of separations)

The recommendations begin at page 11 of the report. They include training, more studies, marketing and allowing CAP to provide accommodations. (Good idea.)

The recommendation to job seekers with disabilities at page 13 is to seek employment in agencies with critical hiring needs (that makes sense for everyone, doesn't it and has nothing to do with disability or addressing the problems) and to seek employment in those agencies that have shown a commitment to hiring people with targeted disabilities.

This same suggestion was worded this way: One recommendation is for job seekers, encouraging people with disabilities to take advantage of the information available on opportunities in the Federal Government.

But when you read the report, it reads to seek employment in the same agencies that have the most hiring of people with disabilities. What if we want to work somewhere else and our skill base doesn't fit in those agencies? And how will that bring about change?

Despite this, the following statement was issued:

NCD Employment Committee Co-Chair Linda Wetters added, “Recognition of continuing barriers to federal employment has led to some promising solutions that could create opportunities for agencies seeking qualified workers and for persons with disabilities seeking employment with the Federal Government.”

Update: Who does the Federal government hire? from Bad Cripple

Proyecto Visión

Proyecto Visión is a bilingual project to connect Latinos with disabilities to employment opportunities. For more information, see http://www.projectvision.net

Parents protest children's show host who has disability

A disabled CBeebies presenter has been the victim of a disturbing campaign after parents complained that she was scaring toddlers.

They claimed that host Cerrie Burnell - who was born with one arm - is not suitable to appear on the digital children's channel.

According to this article, the decision to hire Cerrie Burnell (shown in the photo at left), who was born with one arm, to take over the Do and Discover and The Bedtime Hour program has resulted in complaints and online comments from parents so vicious that some have had to be removed from the CBeebies website. Miss Burnell studied drama, has performing experience and also works as a teaching assistant at a special needs school.

Disability groups have fiercely defended her and the BBC.

John Knight, of charity Leonard Cheshire Disability, said: 'Disabled people experience disadvantage and discrimination like this every day, largely through ignorance. This needs to change.

'Understanding disability all comes down to familiarity. The bottom line is that seeing disabled people on television should be the norm, not the exception.'

Update: BBC: How Do You Explain a Missing Arm to a Child?

Job's Comforters and the Economy

A lot of people believe that stress is always a bad thing. With so many people unemployed, there are articles and seminars talking about how to deal with stress. This article talks about how stress can sometimes be a good thing. It can energize us, mobilize us and teach us resiliency at times.

I was thinking about stress the other day when an unemployed friend of mine who thought she would get help with her COBRA payment found out she did not fall within the designated group because, apparently, she was laid off too soon. She told me how she finally wrote her congressman when she discovered this because, actually, she has been struggling even longer to make ends meet and find a job. Her response to the stress of having her hope dashed that she would get some help with the enormous cost of paying COBRA was to mobilize.

Now those who like to play the role of Job's comforters would most likely tell her and people like her that the stimulus package can't cover everyone. Maybe they would go so far as to tell her that she has had more time to find a job - never mind that it was during one of the worst economic periods of our country during which every week more people were being laid off.

What these folks fail to see is that my friend isn't looking for a handout. What my friend really wants is a job. She has worked since college and has never been laid off before. She is in a field that has been devastated by the current economic crisis, so she's realistic and has told interviewers that she will take less pay by half and work at jobs she had a decade ago. My friend uses a wheelchair and has had to make special arrangements for interviews scheduled in buildings that lack access. She's tried headhunters, temp agencies - you name it.

I know what it's like to deal with Job's comforters. Those who are Job's comforters often fail to see that bad things could happen to them. They cling, even in the face of contrary evidence, to the Just World theory where, if a person does everything right, everything will go right. And if it doesn't, they point to the person and finger wag.

I tell my friend that I'm proud of her for continuing to mobilize in reaction to stress, for speaking up about how the stimulus package affects real people who are part of the unemployment crisis.