By Rob McInnes, © Diversity World, 2003

People with disabilities are not readily accepted into North American workplaces. (This is probably not new information to anyone reading this newsletter.) In general, working-age people with disabilities are three times as likely to be unemployed as their non-disabled counterparts – and, of course, that gap is significantly higher for people with more pronounced disabling conditions. This situation isn’t fair, it isn’t right and it isn’t good. It isn’t fair to people with disabilities who want to put their talents to use and earn a living. It isn’t right in a society that purports to value equal opportunity. It isn’t good for an economy that is rooted in the productivity of all its citizens.

Because this situation isn’t fair, right or good, there are a lot of us out here who are individually and collectively working to change it. We all play out different roles – as individual job seekers, as proactive employers, as job placement and career professionals, as educators, as advocates, as supportive friends and family members. Some of us are lucky enough to get paid for our efforts; but many of us just flavor our regular jobs and personal time with our commitment to this issue. Our roles are different. Our spheres of influence are diverse. We are largely unaware of each other. Our efforts are uncoordinated. But there are tens of thousands of us - and we are all allies in this good fight.

Over the last two decades, it has been my privilege to meet many of comrades in arms throughout the US and Canada. As I continue to do, I am constantly intrigued by what makes each of us “tick” – where our individual motivation and passion is rooted. I have discovered that, in working to increase the economic participation of people with disabilities, the sources of our personal commitments are again as rich and diverse as the multitude of roles that we play in doing so.

In writing this, several people come to mind. I think about Joan, an activist in the labor movement, who, with the onset of her disability had to leave the workforce; but who has since fought tirelessly for the equality of all people with disabilities. I think about Justin whose brother, when suddenly faced with the stigma and hardship of life in a wheelchair, decided to commit suicide - and Justin’s commitment to changing a society whose needless intolerance and inaccessibility had precipitated his brother’s death. I think about Ron, an African American friend whose roots in the civil rights movement easily translated into a commitment to right the injustices facing people with disabilities. I think about Mike who had strongly resisted the notion of having developmentally disabled people working in his store – until he finally age it a try – and has since become an outspoken ambassador to the business community about the truly valuable contribution that they have made to his operation.

The very first person that I always think about, however, is Bill. Bill was on the Board of Directors of a non-profit organization that I worked for – an organization that provided employment services to people with disabilities. Bill had been on the Board for 20 years. He was the stalwart “voice of reason” on every decision. He was the quiet mastermind behind several innovative initiatives. Above all, you always knew – whatever the problem, whatever the issue, you could count on Bill to pitch in.

I could never figure out where Bill’s commitment came from. To my knowledge he didn’t have a family member or close friend with a disability. I never heard that he had any neighbors or coworkers with disabilities. To my knowledge, he wasn’t active in any other social causes. He had the kind of gruff exterior that didn’t readily let you read him. He certainly didn’t wear his heart on his sleeve. Yet, he had devoted 20 years of his life to strongly supporting the work of this organization. I had no idea why, until…

At a large gathering, Bill was given a special award for his 20 years of service on the Board of Directors. At last, he let us in on his motivation for all this. In beginning his acceptance speech, he said “It is all about dreams.”

Bill explained how people with disabilities all have the same dreams as anyone else – dreams of marriage and family - dreams of jobs and careers – dreams of personal earnings and the things that money can buy – dreams of homes, cars, televisions, stereos and vacations – dreams of the “good life” that we all hold for ourselves and our children. Yet, he said, people with disabilities in our society are largely denied these dreams because they can’t get into the workplaces that could make them come true. Bill believed that everyone, disabled or not, has a right to the opportunity to make their dreams come true.

It was because of dreams that, throughout two decades, Bill had devoted thousands of hours, a considerable portion of his lifetime, to support an organization that opened employment opportunities to job seekers with disabilities.

As Bill helped me to understand, at a basic level “It is all about dreams…”

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Are you interested in learning more about disability and employment issues? Are you an employer? An educator? A service provider? A job seeker with a disability? On our Website, we have compiled information and links to a wide variety of topics and resources that can be useful to you.

More Information... www.diversityworld.com/Disability/index.htm
 

by Tim Daly, President, The Access Group

The management concept of diversity has been recognized by corporate America for many years. The idea is strictly that the workforce in America is made up of diverse groups. Further, it says that racial, ethnic and gender differences must be recognized, and viewed not for their differences (bias and stereotyping which leads to tunnel vision and a myopic way of seeing and doing ) but rather for the huge improvements in productivity, marketing and efficiency that a more complete view can bring (eliminate the “blind spots”). “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts!” Just a few days ago a national survey of business executives readily admitted that THEY routinely ASSUME (with no basis in fact) that people with disabilities cannot perform work. True or not, can we afford the luxury of assumption? Moreover, isn’t this the tunnel vision of stereotyping by assuming a person can’t do something – often based solely on erroneous beliefs that just are not true – this is 2003!

It has been proven, over and over that improvements can also result by including people with disabilities rather than excluding them based on their differences and not based on their abilities (Is this bias and stereotyping any different that the narrow thinking that plaques people of color?). Diversity embodies the ideas put forth in the “ALCHEMY OF WE” (“ART OF POSSIBILITY”, by Asarmand Zander, 2002) and forces us to focus on the endless possibilities that exist in ALL individuals, by looking beyond differences to different abilities. Businesses’ are constantly looking at ways to differentiate products, services and human capital. Yet organizations’ routinely negate and overlook a HUGE population segment that is inherently diverse, embodies uniqueness, a different perspective, extreme loyalty and offers HUGE economic potential. So often organizational people see only the costs of accommodations -- but consider the potential opportunities we can have. American businesses/or ganizations could easily make more and spent less. That opportunity is right before their eyes!

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, people with disabilities have an annual income of over a TRILLION dollars per year and an annual disposable buying power of $318 BILLION (last reported several years ago at only $220 BILLION, but there’s been this thing called inflation). What do you think will happen to those numbers as the over 55 years of age population grows? Which population segment/group/cohort is growing faster than any other - you guessed it, the over 55’s. Now, which population segment/group/cohort do you think has the greatest percentage of disabilities – you guessed it again – the over 55’s (I’m there!). According to the Department of Labor, despite a sound economy and an unemployment rate of approximately 6.2 % for the population as a whole and an unemployment rate for minorities, other than people with disabilities, of over twice that, the unemployment rate for working age people with disabilities is between 55% and 75% (depends who you are talking to). Huge gap, don’t you think? Moreover, according to the Workforce 2000 study, demand for skilled employees is nearing a crisis (that study states that by the year 2010 the shortfall of working age humans in the U.S. will be HUGE – where do you think they’ll come from?) Those who have permanent disabilities represent a substantial part of our society (54.1 million – the largest minority?).

Think about this, many, many people with disabilities have learned early-on in their lives’ to deal with adversities in a positive way and to “PRESS ON”. They have, many times, learned to control their responses, find positive workarounds and overcome obstacles in the face of huge odds, inherently and sometimes as a matter of self survival. It’s said that people with disabilities do not succeed in spite of their disability; they succeed in spite of barriers put forth by a prejudicial and discriminatory society – so true! (Those assumptions we talked about earlier.) Moreover, do you want employees that fold when confronted with adversity or people that have proven over and over again that they can “press on”? In landmark studies by such authorities as Martin Seiglman, Ph.D and Paul Stoltz, Ph.D., we see in concrete examples what important factors, prevailing in the face of daily adversities can do/can be. Who would say that Bill Gates has not been successful? Who would say the adversities he faced by dropping out of school to pursue his dreams, held him back? Our society needs to understand the incredible economic and intellectual potential that is lying dormant in people with disabilities.

How can we harness that potential? How can we best integrate a workforce via the inclusion of people with disabilities? Simply by: 1) collaborative effort focused on a shared goal and 2) regular, annual awareness (not just sensitivity – awareness must come before sensitivity) training – so existing employees can see, first hand that people with disabilities are basically no different than they are – they are just people just like you and me. Learn disability etiquette -- learn, so able-bodied individuals can be comfortable around people with disabilities (increasing their “comfort zone”). People without a disability need to understand that people with disabilities are a people and always see, and treat them as another PERSON – looking beyond the disability to see ABILITY. Sure, people with disabilities may have some limitations or differences but they can still contribute and offer a unique perspective. Often people with a disability have to work much harder to do the basics of living that others without disabilities take for granted – a situation that often makes them even more tenacious!

(Tim's book "Ramping Up For Profits" is now available in our store. Scroll down this page for more information.)

Go to The Access Group website: www.accessgroup-md.com/index.htm
 

The post-ADA world has not demonstrated a gratifying increase in employment rates for people with disabilities. Some researchers have even leveled blame at the Americans With Disabilities Act itself for negatively impacting the employment of people with disabilities. This paper contains a truly interesting multi-faceted analysis of how the ADA may or may not have impacted the employment experience of people with disabilities.

For More Details (pdf): disability.law.uiowa.edu/lhpdc/publications/documents/blancketaldocs/Stanford
_Blancketal03.pdf
 

This study determined the characteristics of employers who are open to hiring and supporting people with disabilities. The purpose was to help rehabilitation professionals better target their placement and educational activities. The researchers conducted focus groups and interviews with employers, employed persons with disabilities, and experienced rehabilitation placement professionals. The results indicated that 13 specific characteristics are found among employers who are open to hiring and accommodating persons with disabilities.

For More Information: www.worksupport.com/Main/proed_Identification.asp
 

HalfThePlanet.com has published a succinct little article on the potential of teleworking for people with disabilities.

Read This Article: www.halftheplanet.org/departments/new_content/telecomuting.html
 

This is an outrageous website! From Great Britain, it is simply packed with perspectives, opinions and experiences of some very cool folks with disabilities - speaking out on just about anything you can imagine. Entertaining and insightful - it is definitely worth a visit - and possible regular return visits.

Go to Ouch!: www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/
 

This Oregon-based Website has a program called Career Journeys. Career Journeys is a web-based mentoring service for youth and young adults who experience disabilities and other challenges to employment.

For More Information… www9.ohsu.edu/cdrc/everyonecan/mentor/index.cfm
 

Now in its ninth year, the Pfizer Epilepsy Scholarship is awarded annually to 16 students ($3000 each) who hold the promise of continued excellence in the pursuit of higher education. While many of the scholarship recipients are high school seniors entering college, students pursuing graduate level degrees are also eligible. For more information about the scholarship, call (800) AWARD-PF, write Pfizer Epilepsy Scholarship Award, c/o The Eden Communications Group, 515 Valley St., Suite 200, Maplewood NJ,or visit the website.

More on the Pfizer Scholarships... www.epilepsy-scholarship.com/
 

The American Printing House for the Blind has conducted surveys of individuals who have low vision concerning their preferences for fonts and point sizes. They found that the majority of respondents preferred either Arial, Tahoma or Verdana fonts. As a follow-up they began to ask what were the characteristics that made these fonts easier to read and what characteristics made some fonts more difficult to read. Based on this information APH designed a font that incorporated these characteristics. They named this new font APHont. It is available on their web site for free... not that everyone should use APHont, people should be encouraged to use it or one of the fonts mentioned above. These fonts are generally perceived to be easier to read by everyone, thus falling into the domain of universal design.

Website for the American Printing House for the Blind... www.aph.org
 

The National Council on Disability recently published a position paper on this topic. For anyone interested in education issues for people with disabilities, this paper is full of important information and statistics.

For More Information… www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/education.html
 

Employers, service providers, educators and people with disabilities are gathering in San Francisco for three days of networking and informative sessions on cutting edge issues, policies and practices affecting employment opportunities for people with disabilities. (Having helped to put the program together, we are somewhat biased; but this is going to be a great event - don't miss it!)

For More Information... www.blnsummit.org
 

In October 2003, the Office of Disability Employment Policy announced grant awards of over $15 Million to organizations throughout the US. The grants, awarded in seven different categories, were intended to meet the employment related needs of people with disabilities.

For More Detail and a List of Awardees... www.dol.gov/odep/media/press/recip.htm
 

In our Diversity Shop, we feature disability-related employment-focused materials for employers, service providers, educators, job seekers and others with similar interests. Please browse through our current selections of books and videos.

Diversity Shop's Disability Products... www.diversityshop.com/store/disability.html
 

"Ramping Up for Profits" is written by this month's Guest Contributor - Tim Daly. It is a smart little book with an unconventional approach to cummunicating "disability basics" to employers. It is full of facts, perspectives and anecdotes that will support a company's efforts to build a disability-friendly culture.

More Detail on Book... www.diversityshop.com/store/ramping.html
 

Some people are naturals at interviewing but most of us are not. That’s why you need to look for any edge you can get over other applicants. The Interviewing Edge is a smart and entertaining video intended to help job seekers with disabilities to interview more effectively.

More Detail on Video... www.diversityshop.com/store/intedge.html
 

This video captures some of the excitement being generated by the emerging trend of self-employment for people with significant disabilities. Not intended to be a "how to" on self-employment, this video is simply intended to energize viewers about the many exciting opportunities that entrepreneurship and self-employment can hold for many people.

More Detail on Video... www.diversityshop.com/store/entre.html
 

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