Posts Tagged ‘unemployment’

The risk and necessity of openness Many people have a knee-jerk reaction to the term "disability"  that causes them to shut down or recoil when in the presence of an actual person who discloses a non-visible condition or looks like they are disabled. Getting the public past this reaction is a bit like teaching a cat to swim- it can be done- but is an area of life that most individuals whose personal worlds are not touched by or who have not lived with the experience of disability naturally avoid. What can we do that gets us closer to a "post-disabled" world? Disclosure by a person who has disability to a potential or existing employer is one of the greatest personal and professional risks that can be taken. Because of potentially adverse consequences such as missing out on a job opening or earning additional merit-based responsibilities due to management doubts about the personal fitness of a PwD to perform at advanced levels. Too many choose to stay silent and become adept at doing what is necessary to blend in. This barrier has taunted and perplexed PwD as well as otherwise-satisfied employers for decades. The lack of public disclosure and civil discourse concerning the ...

At the end of October, LDI's Veronica and Rob Crawford organized & led a small group of Arizona citizens in staging a first-of-its-kind Rally called EmployAbility. The purpose of the event is to update public perceptions about the capabilities of PwD to achieve life/career success and their desire to earn economic self-sufficiency through meaningful work. The  history-making morning Rally drew about 175 people, sponsored by 22 businesses, agencies, schools and programs, covered by local media, had loads of pictures taken, and is a template for what is hoped will be a future filled with similar events in every city across the country. This post is in recognition of the spirit of humanity to choose a positive direction and what happens when a few people work to unify disparate parties around a common cause for the betterment of all. My next post will zero in on speaker messages and follow up efforts now occuring to sustain the people, connections, and energy from the Rally. Recent history: How can anyone make a difference for PwD in today's world? During the 2008 Fall Presidential primaries, I sat with my wife Veronica, and listened while candidates from both parties thanked their key constituencies for making their victories possible. When ...

The winnining logo submission we chose is a clear and easy to see image representing equality, community inclusion, and the business case for abilities-based employment. The logo selected to be used for the EmployAbility Rally was designed through a great service located at www.logotournament.com.  A fast and easy-to-use form is filled out that tells artists the look, theme, and feel of the logo which then receives entries from  designers around the world competing to win a cash prize for the design. Our contest had 86 logo designs within the week the contest ran. There were a wide range of ideas with some good design elements, but none were as clear, unambigous in message and strong as the one selected. The Rally The EmployAbility Rally is a  free-to-the public event is set for October 28th, 2010 and will occur on the east side of the Arizona state Capital Mall from 9:00 a.m. until 12 p.m. In fact, the response has been so strong that we will have the area on 17th Avenue between Jefferson and Adams blocked off to allow full accessibility to all that attend as well as a larger area to accommodate the 18 agencies and businesses that will host information tables throughout the event. Beginning in September, we will make a push to bring out as many people with disabilities and those who ...

A conference/training took place in Tempe, AZ on June 22-23, 2010 about the “Choose Work” program. Sponsored by the Arizona Employment Disability Partnership  in conjunction with the Social Security Administration Ticket to Work program, the training detailed the roll out of what appears to be a much improved, innovative program designed to put working age people with disabilities who are receiving cash benefits through SSI or SSDI to work. I know what you are probably thinking – innovative, creative government programs with streamlined regulations are not mutually compatible terms. But in this time of budget deficits cutting social service programs to the core, it is encouraging to see concrete steps taken that link up those who want to work with companies and businesses looking to hire willing, qualified applicants. In the case of PwD, anything that promotes  an enhanced quality of life through increased earnings, reduces poverty, and provides expanded opportunities to contribute to the nation’s workforce vitality is long overdue. Dan O’Brien, acting Associate SSA Commissioner from the Office of Employment Program Support Programs shared that for people currently getting a monthly check that is only at 73% of the national poverty level it is a simple ...

Recent articles on the value of a college education and absence of career preparation within the current k-20 education system spiked my interest in tying the themes together as a way of assessing employment outcomes for graduates of postsecondary and higher education programs. On the one hand, there are loud policy voices calling for international academic standards and assessments bench-marked against other countries education systems with a constant outcry of how far behind US students perform against their global peers. Most current and planned state/federal education initiatives promote academic choice options such as charter schools, international baccalaureate programs, and increased testing/assessment. These efforts, the public is told, will put American students in high paying/high performing professional occupations.  The LA Times headline seemed to point in a different direction, stating that the promise of better employment guarantees thought to be part of earning a college degree were at odds with recent public and private researched patterns of employment- both now and for the foreseeable future. Although patterns of retained employment in good paying, white collar ...

Over the past several months, I have been able to meet and talk with people from federal agencies, entrepreneurs, businesses, and grassroots organizations looking for signs of progress in employment policies and practices regarding expanding the workforce participation of adults with disabilities. Depending on whom you are meeting with, several dynamics are consistent: Federal and state employment program administrators/managers recognize policy/program service inequities between “mild” types of disabilities and others categorized as “significant.” Since the Clinton administration, this segregation of conditions has effectively shut out people with high incidence "mild" disabilities such as learning disabilities, ADHD, Autism, mood and anxiety disorders from having access to both appropriate and available services. No agency official I met was able to offer any insights as to whether this “DisLabeling” issue will be resolved or is even being discussed as an eligibility policy issue or included in upcoming competitive grants for model demonstration programs. In other words, no government official or agency "owns" this issue. National unemployment rates among people with disabilities persist in being disproportionately higher than any other demographic group. Private and public sector employers continue to struggle with embracing available employment hiring incentives/subsidies, effectively know how to tap into this labor pool, and in general, avoid inclusion ...

The Qatar Foundation recently launched the first World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) in the capital city of Doha on November 16-18, 2009. Three years in the making, its overall objective is to take on the task improving/providing global access to education for citizens as a basic human right through promoting/scaling/replicating concrete initiatives that are sustainable, innovative, and inclusive.  Over 1000 educational professionals,practitioners, and media from 90 countries participated in this invitation-only Summit, that was competently assisted by a small army of over 200 logistical/support personnel and many volunteers from the Qatar Youth Foundation.  The Summit attempted to find common ground among the many competing and often contradicting issues between what constitutes best and available practices in both the emerging and developed world's educational systems. It will now become an annual event, whose agenda and true global impact will grow as concrete partnerships, collaborations, and opportunities to create systemic educational change are brought to the Qatar Foundation and the Royal family's attention. There was a decided focus on higher education (voices speaking out about poverty, gender bias, and disability were heard too) as being the key pathway to economic opportunity, global citizenship, and peaceful resolutions to social problems that have plagued humanity since the dawn of civilization.  It was a great honor and responsibility to ...