For many people with learning disabilities (LD), ADHD, Autism, and Asperger's, ensuring continued success in the workplace usually requires them to disclose their condition to their employer. By doing so,
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?
At the end of October, 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. 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.
The winning 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 [...]
I have been following the Bureau of Labor Statistics monthly updates on employment for members of the workforce who have disabilities. These data have been available to the public since October 2008 and have helped confirm what has long been assumed or suspected- labor market participation for PwD [...]
This post deals with DisLabeling, an unacceptable and unnecessary form of segregation for people with disabilities. A two-tiered system of services is tolerated by PwD that arbritrarily places them into either "mild" or "signficant" categories. This results in the majority of people with higher incidence conditions that received attention through special education in public school, not being disabled enough to be found eligible for adult services and/or reasonable adjustments. Information on issues & trends are discussed, with a call-to-action summary.
Purpose: A rally dedicated to updating public perceptions and attitudes towards the capabilities of People with Disabilities. Where: Arizona State Capitol Mall, 1700 West Washington, Phoenix, Arizona When: October 28, 2010, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Opportunities: A slate of local and nationally known speakers from grassroots, [...]
Hope for a new day of equal opportunity In January, 2009, The U.S. House of Representatives showed overwhelming bipartisan support for the American’s with Disabilities Amendments Act by a vote 405-17 approving the measure. Political ideology did not trump Congress being on the right side of this [...]
There are now many more adults with disabilities under the age of 35 (comprehensive special education was created through P.L. 94-142 in 1975) who are better prepared for inclusion into higher education, postsecondary, and employment settings. They also have higher expectations of themselves and their chances for success as a [...]
The worldwide recession has made traditionally “reliable” forecasting models of improvement in job creation next to impossible to gauge accurately. This seems especially true for adults with hidden disabilities as they seek access to employment opportunities with little public or private recognition of their aspirations and barriers [...]