Guest Op-Ed: National Disability Employment Awareness Month Offers Opportunity for Discussion, Change

In 1945, President Harry S. Truman approved a congressional resolution declaring the first week in October ”National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.“ In 1962, the word ”physically“ was removed to acknowledge all types of disabilities. In 1988, the week-long observance was extended to a full month, and the name was changed to National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). Today, this observance is administered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy.

This, the 70th anniversary of NDEAM, offers us an opportunity to look back and celebrate the advances that have enabled individuals with disabilities to participate fully in their communities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), passed in 1990, has ensured that people with disabilities can enjoy equal opportunities for independent living and economic self-sufficiency.

While efforts like NDEAM and the ADA have improved conditions and opportunities for workers with disabilities, finding meaningful employment continues to be a challenge for many. Although people with disabilities comprise roughly 20 percent of the current labor force, they suffer unemployment rates (12.5 percent in 2014) more than twice as high as that of workers without disabilities (5.9 percent), according to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report released in June 2015.

Since its inception in 1902, Goodwill Industries¨ has been committed to providing job opportunities to job seekers with disabilities and other barriers to employment. Goodwill provides job training and employment opportunities, as well as placement and support services and rehabilitation programs. Locally, there are more than 100 individuals–approximately 12% of our workforce–with significant disabilities employed at Goodwill Manasota. Each of these individuals plays an integral role in our success, and each is compensated fairly for their work.

Our organization has committed itself fully to providing employment opportunities for those who wish to work. We have detailed guidelines for recruitment, engagement, coaching and the continuing monitoring necessary to ensure our team members with significant disabilities have the tools and resources they need to succeed. The teams at our retail operations receive additional training to be prepared to assist with and empathetic to the needs of new team members with significant disabilities. We have developed partnerships with numerous regional agencies who work on behalf of individuals with disabilities so that our collective efforts will be strengthened.

Is it worth it? Absolutely. Our team members with disabilities are hard-working, reliable and, most importantly, eminently capable. Our investment in their success means they have the opportunity to achieve self-sufficiency: a steady paycheck, transportation and a means to buy life’s necessities. A job also brings feelings of worth and dignity. In return, we are inspired each and every day by their determination to overcome every obstacle placed in their path.

At Goodwill, we choose to look past a person’s disabilities and, instead, see and appreciate them for their abilities. Thanks to NDEAM, the ADA and business owners with the vision to give someone who may have been overlooked elsewhere a chance, millions of Americans with disabilities are able to make important contributions to the workplace every day. We encourage area employers who have concerns about hiring individuals with disabilities to expand their views and open their doors to those who simply need an opportunity to try–and succeed.