|
 Impatient
to Change the No-growth State of Employment for People With
Disabilities:
an interview with John Kemp.
Welcome to the June 2007 edition of this newsletter.
On April 4, 2007, the
US Business Leadership Network announced that it had
retained John Kemp as its new Executive Director. I have
long admired John for his bold and visionary role in the
arena of disability issues.
As long-term
subscribers know, I am also very hopeful about the impact
Business Leadership Networks can have on communities across
North America. My hopefulness has been significantly
heightened by John’s appointment as its Executive Director.
John graciously agreed to be interviewed for this month’s
issue of our newsletter.
~ Rob McInnes
RM: John, before we learn more about
your new leadership role with the USBLN, we would like to
get your perspective on some general issues in the
employment of people with disabilities. In recent years,
there have been allegations that the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) actually had a negative impact on the
employment of people with disabilities. What do you think
about those assertions?
 John
Kemp: I don’t think those allegations are fair and I
don’t think they are accurate. The issues of employment for
people with disabilities and the problems around that issue
are deep and severe. I don’t think the current situation can
be blamed on the ADA. The ADA has had a profound impact on
the quality of our lives over the past seventeen years.
Progress in
employment has not happened fast enough because there are
still employers out there who don’t believe that people with
disabilities can productively perform jobs. Narrowly, they
see it from their own perspective; “How would I do this job
if I had that kind of disability? I don’t think I could – so
I’m not going to hire anyone with that kind of disability.”
Dick Thornburg,
former Attorney General, had a good way of framing the ADA.
He said that the ADA had a symbolic impact and a substantive
impact. It was a clear policy statement about the vision
that our country has for people with disabilities to be full
participants in all aspects of life. Symbolically, it led us
into a leadership position of world leadership. I am
disappointed that we have not sustained that symbolic
leadership in the last 4 or 5 years – especially around the
United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with
Disabilities. But I would not blame the ADA.
As with any civil
rights law, the first few years are about creating the
boundaries of the definition and the concepts… like
“reasonable accommodation”. We’ve moved through there. We
have not been entirely successful – especially at the
Supreme Court level. We have had the definition of
disability narrowed substantially. It is time to go back and
clarify and restore those rights that Congress originally
intended to protect. I do expect that there will be an ADA
Restoration Act.
|
"They will never
push people with disabilities into the boxes
that we were in before...
The future is only going to get better for us." |
They will never push
people with disabilities into the boxes that we were in
before. We are out. We are very happy with all that we are
doing… and there is a lot more that we could be doing. The
future is only going to get better for us.
RM:
For those of us who are
actively trying to improve employment opportunities for
people with disabilities, do you see anything new and
hopeful on the horizon?
John Kemp: In
the future, I think we are going to see greater investment
of venture capital funds in companies that are well-run and
well-managed but also owned, equity-wise, by people with
disabilities. I am currently involved with one fund that is
going to make this a priority. It doesn’t mean that these
entrepreneurs with disabilities are going to hire a bunch of
people with disabilities just because they happen to have
disabilities themselves, but I am hoping they will. I am
hoping that part of the investment strategy will be to
encourage additional employment of people with disabilities.
Also, I am working on
a piece of legislation with a group called The One Percent
Coalition. The act itself is called the Employer Work
Incentive Act for Individuals with Severe Disabilities.
Essentially it is a federal procurement advantage for any
federal contractor or subcontractor that employs above a
certain percentage, in the range of 15 – 25%, of people with
severe disabilities. Companies – nonprofit and for profit -
that meet the standards will enjoy a slight advantage in
bidding on federal contracts. Every other protected class
group has similar kinds of contract advantages – and they
benefit from it. People with disabilities do not. I think it
is an important piece of legislation.
RM: John, you recently agreed
to serve as the Executive Director of the US Business
Leadership Network (USBLN). Can you give our readers a brief
overview of the USBLN?
 John
Kemp: The overarching goal is to create a world-class
organization that offers employers a meeting place, both
physically and virtually, with other employers who are keen
on promoting employment and customer service for people with
disabilities. It will strive to be a model organization that
will lead and follow a network of chapters and members who
have strong beliefs in advancing employment and customer
service for people with disabilities.
RM:
“Lead and
follow” is an interesting phrase. Can you elaborate on that?
John Kemp:
Where is the action happening? It is at the local level. It
is not necessarily in Washington, DC. Probably the most
creativity that happens in organizations like this happens
in selected chapters’ and members’ home towns. That is
 where
we have to be smart enough to follow. We have to advance
this movement by finding those model programs, highlighting
them, and letting other people try to emulate them.
|
"Chapters will
flourish where there are employers who want to
work together to build something fantastic, to
distinguish themselves for having model
practices." |
The idea is that we
will build this organization by strengthening the Chapters
so that they can become effectively engaged in advancing the
concepts that we are promoting for people with disabilities.
It is in local communities that people know where the jobs
are, what the needs are, and where the resources are.
Chapters will flourish where there are employers who want to
work together to build something fantastic, to distinguish
themselves for having model practices. Hopefully, these
well-functioning localized networks will be the outgrowth of
our efforts.
RM:
There are many
organizations in existence that promote the employment of
people with disabilities and workforce diversity. What
distinguishes the USBLN from the rest of that crowd?
John Kemp:
While there are many groups whose interests overlap on our
own, there are no national organizations and, typically, no
local organizations that have this dual-purposed focus -
where companies can work together to address the challenges
and find solutions to the employment and customer service
issues of people with disabilities. There is a paucity of
organizations that address these issues this way and we
intend to fill that niche and grow with it as it evolves.
RM:
Amongst
organizations that strive to improve employment for people
with disabilities, the concept of “employer-driven” seems to
be unique to the Business Leadership Network. Can you
comment on that?
John Kemp: We
want our organization to be a place where employers are
comfortable coming together and talking about issues that
are important to them. The issue of disability and
employment cuts a wide swath. It is a concern of
organizations that provide services to people with
disabilities, advocacy organizations, diversity-related
organizations, and others. This organization is intended to
be centric to employers’ needs. This is not to say that it
will not address the interests, needs, and wants of other
groups. We are deeply involved with a number of non-profit
organizations that will become partners of ours. We foresee
a number of strategic alliances with them and with
government agencies.
|
"At our core, we are about
serving employers’ needs in the
areas of employment and customer service for
people with disabilities."
|
At our core, we are
about serving employers’ needs in the areas of employment
and customer service for people with disabilities. Outside
of that core purpose, there is an awful lot of room, and a
great deal of need, to build and strengthen relationships
with all the other entities that affect disability
employment and services.
RM:
From the
perspective of people with disabilities, based on their life
experiences and their hopes for the future, what do you hope
they will see in the in the mission and actions of the USBLN?
John Kemp: I
think there is every reason for people with disabilities to
be suspicious and jaded in their perspectives about any
organization that purports to promote the employment for
people with disabilities. There have been many governmental
and nonprofit organizations, over a period of eighty years,
that have said “We are all about helping people with
disabilities get jobs” - and there has been little to no
improvement in the employment rates of people with
disabilities.
Can we at the USBLN
make a difference? We are going to really try. There are a
lot of issues that affect the employment opportunities for
people with disabilities, but employers do hold the jobs.
Why has there been no progress? What is it that
fundamentally is causing this no-growth state of employment?
It is not acceptable to me and it is not acceptable to those
companies that are involved in the USBLN.
People with
disabilities need to know that there is an impatience that I
and the Board of Directors of the USBLN share on this issue.
It is not acceptable. We have to try new and different
things to generate more employment. On the policy front, it
could be time to dismantle some of our social programs and
rebuild them.
|
"The status quo is
not acceptable and there is an impatience
on the part of the USBLN – a desire to make a
major change... " |
Again, the status quo
is not acceptable and there is an impatience on the part of
the USBLN – a desire to make a major change, to try new
approaches and to partner with groups that are also anxious
to bring about change.
RM:
Can you expand
a little on the relationship between the USBLN and its
Chapters throughout the country?
John Kemp: It
is a partnership. We hope to support them with tools to
organize themselves in an efficient way, to explore what the
needs and wants of their communities are, to create
partnerships in their communities, to increase their
membership base, and to generate needed revenues.
In addition, we want
to build a strong national office that can create national
campaigns and public relations programs, take national
policy positions, and be advocates on the Hill and with the
Administration on issues that will promote the unified
mission of the organization.
RM:
What are some
of the immediate priorities of the USBLN?
John Kemp: We
are working hard right now at our
upcoming national conference. It is a major showcase event
for our organization. We are intent on holding a first-class
event on September 23 - 26, 2007 in Orlando. In
conjunction with the conference, there will
be a Career Fair. In partnership with
the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD),
there will be the launch of Disability Mentoring Day for
2007.
 Our
partnership with AAPD is one of the exciting new
partnerships that we are developing. We envision a strong
ongoing partnership with AAPD as, in the future, we tackle
different issues of common concern. We have established a
partnership with the Job Accommodation Network through which
we are sponsoring nation-wide educational webinars for
employers. We have a new partnership with the Youth to Work
Coalition and that will enable us to engage with youth with
disabilities at this critical stage in their lives.
RM:
As the new
Executive Director, what message would you like to get out
to the existing Chapters of the U.S. Business Leadership
Network?
John Kemp: The
USBLN support to you will grow substantially over time. We
are laying the foundations for a high-quality national
organization that will be a strong resource to you in the
future. I will assist you personally in any way that I can.
I will be more than pleased to travel to your communities,
as I can, to engage with your business communities and
generate interest in your efforts.
Our goal is to
support you and to help you grow by providing information,
support, resources, answers for questions from your local
employers and to keep the USBLN as a good “brand name” for
you to be associated with.
RM:
If an employer
from a community where a Business Leadership Network does
not exist reads this interview and is interested in forming
a local Chapter, what should they do?
John Kemp: I
would be honored if they would call me or email me directly.
My phone number is 202-466-6550 and my email is
john.kemp@ppsv.com. They are also welcome to contact
Katherine McCrary our Board President. Her contact
information is on our website. We can connect them to one of
many successful BLN Chapters throughout the country that
will be happy to assist them.
Visit the website of the
US Business
Leadership Network
* * *
John Kemp graduated from Georgetown University in 1971 and
from Washburn University School of Law in 1974. Mr. Kemp was
awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Law from Washburn
University School of Law in May, 2003. He is currently a
principal at the law firm Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville, PC
in Washington, D.C. John has been a prominent voice in the
disability movement for over 30 years. He has played a
leadership role with many of America’s most influential
disability organizations including the United Cerebral Palsy
Association, Very Special Arts, The Abilities Fund Inc.,
Disability Service Providers of America, National Council on
Disability, Easter Seal Society, Goodwill Industries, and
the U.S. International Council on Disabilities. In addition,
he founded the HalfthePlanet Foundation and co-founded the
American Association of People with Disabilities.
© Rob McInnes,
Diversity World, June, 2007 (If not used for commercial
purposes, this article may be reproduced, all or in part,
providing it is credited to "Rob McInnes, Diversity World -
www.diversityworld.com". If included in a newsletter or
other publication, we would appreciate receiving a copy.)
Comment? Do you have a comment to share on this article?
Please send us your thoughts by email. We enjoy hearing from
our readers.
Email your feedback on this article...
|
RESEARCH:
New Resources From Cornell
SELF
EMPLOYMENT: Entrepreneur Leadership Network
POSTER:
“A lot of great employees come with their own office chair.”
ONLINE
VIDEO: The Simple Truths of Service
STUDY:
ONLINE
STORE: Disability is Natural
ONLINE
VIDEO: Great Hires
EVENT:
18th annual APSE National Conference
EVENT:
8th Annual COSD Conference
