[Jobs] FW: NCD Says Increase Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities

Mon Oct 1 14:44:05 CDT 2007

  _____  

From: National Council on Disability News List
[mailto:NCD-NEWS-L at LISTSERV.ACCESS.GPO.GOV] On Behalf Of Mark Quigley
Sent: Monday, October 01, 2007 12:28 PM
To: NCD-NEWS-L at LISTSERV.ACCESS.GPO.GOV
Subject: NCD Says Increase Employment Opportunities for People with
Disabilities

NEWS RELEASE 

NCD #07-544

October 1, 2007

Contact: Mark S. Quigley

202-272-2004

National Council on Disability Says Increase Employment Opportunities
for People with Disabilities

WASHINGTON-The National Council on Disability (NCD) today, on the first
day of National Disability Employment Awareness month, released a report
that presents the best practices in the public and private sectors and
the promising public policies and initiatives that increase employment
opportunities for people with disabilities.

The employment rate of working age people with disabilities remains only
half that of people without disabilities (38 percent compared with 78
percent in 2005).

The report, Empowerment for Americans with Disabilities: Breaking
Barriers to Careers and Full Employment,
(http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2007/NCDEmployment_20071001.ht
m) comprehensively reviews the issues integral to the employment of
people with disabilities. It has two broad aims: 1) to summarize the
existing knowledge regarding the employment of people with disabilities
in a series of short issue briefs; and 2) to present new information on
the perspectives of employers, people with disabilities, and disability
specialists on the key barriers and facilitators of employment.

According to NCD chairperson John R. Vaughn, "For Americans with
disabilities, no less than for all other citizens, the opportunity to
earn a living and be self-supporting is a universally held goal. Yet in
perhaps no area of public policy has the expectations gap so stubbornly
resisted our efforts to achieve equality. Whatever set of statistics one
chooses from among the varying estimates of disabled Americans'
employment rates, the rate and level of employment for this population
remain far too low. These employment and earnings gaps are a substantial
public and policy concern. A lack of employment opportunities limits the
ability of many people with disabilities to fully participate in
society, since employment plays a number of important roles and
functions for individuals."

"There is a direct benefit to expanding the employment opportunities for
people with disabilities. For employers who are projected to face labor
shortages as the baby-boom generation retires, non-employed people with
disabilities represent a valuable tool of human resources to help fill
those needs. For people with disabilities, employment has not just
economic value, but important social and psychological value. For
government, increased employment of people with disabilities helps
increase tax receipts and decrease social expenditures. Finally, as
recognized in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, there
are societal benefits from greater inclusiveness in mainstream society
as the barriers facing people with disabilities are dismantled," Vaughn
concluded.

NCD received advice and guidance from a Business Advisory Committee,
chaired by J.T. (Ted) Childs Jr. (Principal, Ted Childs LLC), made up of
representatives from 25 U.S. companies. NCD also received advice and
guidance from an Expert Advisory Panel, comprising experts in the field
of disability and employment.

As part of a road map to improving employment opportunities for people
with disabilities, NCD offers the following recommendations that
supplement the best practices and existing public policies and
initiatives:

*	Conduct public forums on the status of the New Freedom
Initiative: There should be meetings in each of the 50 states with
diverse stakeholders to report on the progress of the New Freedom
Initiative. 

*	Design and fund a coordinated set of demonstration projects by
multiple federal agencies: These demonstration/pilot projects would
examine the effectiveness of a wide range of policies addressing many of
the employment facilitators and barriers. The projects should examine
how a combination of policies, rather than each policy in isolation,
affects employment opportunities for people with disabilities. 

*	Establish and maintain a National Business Advisory Council:
Modeled on the council advising this study, an ongoing business advisory
council with representatives from large and small employers would share
information with employers in general and provide advice to the National
Council on Disability, the President, Congress, and other federal
agencies. 

*	Conduct a public information campaign: A massive public
information campaign could help match employers and people with
disabilities, in part by publicizing employer best practices, successful
public/private partnerships, accessible technologies, and universal
design methods. 

*	Clarify ADA coverage: Congress should reaffirm the intent of the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and clarify who is covered and
eligible for workplace accommodations, including the definition of
disability without regard to accommodations or other mitigating
measures, to reduce employer uncertainty and fear of the unknown. 

*	Improve vocational rehabilitation and workforce investment
services and outcomes: This should include a) additional study of
vocational rehabilitation outcomes by the U.S. Government Accountability
Office (GAO); b) research on accessibility of one-stop centers and the
need for increased enforcement; and c) congressional hearings on the
Workforce Investment Act and the need for improved collaboration within
and outside the one-stop career centers. 

*	Modify the Social Security disability income system to promote
work and advance self-sufficiency: There should be evaluation of the
effectiveness of current work incentives and a multistate demonstration
that allows beneficiaries to work without loss of cash benefits or
health coverage for five years. 

*	Improve access and availability of long-term services and
supports: There should be a) several incremental reforms to decrease the
system's fragmentation and otherwise improve delivery of long-term
services and supports and service, including establishment of a National
Resource Center on Consumer Self-Direction that identifies and
disseminates best practice information; and b) an AmeriWell program,
which is a pre-funded, mandatory, long-term services and support model
that provides all Americans of any age with coverage from birth. 

*	Increase opportunities for self-employment: The Small Business
Administration should affirm the inclusion of small businesses owned by
people with disabilities as minority contractors entitled to federal
procurement set-asides, and establish a National Resource Center on
Self-Employment and People with Disabilities to provide training and
technical assistance and improve cross-agency collaboration. Congress
should establish tax incentives for corporations to purchase products
and services from small businesses owned by people with disabilities. 

NCD is an independent federal agency and is composed of 15 members
appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the
U.S. Senate. It provides advice to the President, Congress, and
executive branch agencies to promote policies, programs, practices, and
procedures that guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with
disabilities, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability,
and to empower individuals with disabilities to achieve economic
self-sufficiency, independent living, and inclusion and integration into
all aspects of society.

For more information, please contact NCD's director of communications
Mark S. Quigley at mquigley at ncd.gov <mailto:mquigley at ncd.gov>  or by
telephone at 202-272-2004. 

# # #

Mark S. Quigley

Director of Communications

National Council on Disability

1331 F Street, NW Suite 850

Washington, DC 20004

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From:
National Council on Disability News List [mailto:NCD-NEWS-L at LISTSERV.ACCESS.GPO.GOV]
On Behalf Of
Mark Quigley
Sent:
Monday, October 01, 2007 12:28 PM
To:
NCD-NEWS-L at LISTSERV.ACCESS.GPO.GOV
Subject:
NCD Says Increase Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities
NEWS RELEASE
NCD #07&#8211;544
October 1, 2007
Contact: Mark S. Quigley
202-272-2004

National Council on Disability Says Increase Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities

WASHINGTON&#8212;The National Council on Disability (NCD) today, on the first day of National Disability Employment Awareness month, released a report that presents the best practices in the public and private sectors and the promising public policies and initiatives that increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

The employment rate of working age people with disabilities remains only half that of people without disabilities (38 percent compared with 78 percent in 2005).

The report,
Empowerment for Americans with Disabilities: Breaking Barriers to Careers and Full Employment
, (
http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2007/NCDEmployment_20071001.htm http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2007/NCDEmployment_20071001.htm
) comprehensively reviews the issues integral to the employment of people with disabilities. It has two broad aims: 1) to summarize the existing knowledge regarding the employment of people with disabilities in a series of short issue briefs; and 2) to present new information on the perspectives of employers, people with disabilities, and disability specialists on the key barriers and facilitators of employment.

According to NCD chairperson John R. Vaughn, &#8220;For Americans with disabilities, no less than for all other citizens, the opportunity to earn a living and be self-supporting is a universally held goal. Yet in perhaps no area of public policy has the expectations gap so stubbornly resisted our efforts to achieve equality. Whatever set of statistics one chooses from among the varying estimates of disabled Americans&#8217; employment rates, the rate and level of employment for this population remain far too low. These employment and earnings gaps are a substantial public and policy concern. A lack of employment opportunities limits the ability of many people with disabilities to fully participate in society, since employment plays a number of important roles and functions for individuals.&#8221;

&#8220;There is a direct benefit to expanding the employment opportunities for people with disabilities. For employers who are projected to face labor shortages as the baby-boom generation retires, non-employed people with disabilities represent a valuable tool of human resources to help fill those needs. For people with disabilities, employment has not just economic value, but important social and psychological value. For government, increased employment of people with disabilities helps increase tax receipts and decrease social expenditures. Finally, as recognized in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, there are societal benefits from greater inclusiveness in mainstream society as the barriers facing people with disabilities are dismantled,&#8221; Vaughn concluded.

NCD received advice and guidance from a Business Advisory Committee, chaired by J.T. (Ted) Childs Jr. (Principal, Ted Childs LLC), made up of representatives from 25 U.S. companies. NCD also received advice and guidance from an Expert Advisory Panel, comprising experts in the field of disability and employment.

As part of a road map to improving employment opportunities for people with disabilities, NCD offers the following recommendations that supplement the best practices and existing public policies and initiatives:

Conduct public forums on the status of the New Freedom Initiative: There should be meetings in each of the 50 states with diverse stakeholders to report on the progress of the New Freedom Initiative.

Design and fund a coordinated set of demonstration projects by multiple federal agencies: These demonstration/pilot projects would examine the effectiveness of a wide range of policies addressing many of the employment facilitators and barriers. The projects should examine how a combination of policies, rather than each policy in isolation, affects employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Establish and maintain a National Business Advisory Council: Modeled on the council advising this study, an ongoing business advisory council with representatives from large and small employers would share information with employers in general and provide advice to the National Council on Disability, the President, Congress, and other federal agencies.

Conduct a public information campaign: A massive public information campaign could help match employers and people with disabilities, in part by publicizing employer best practices, successful public/private partnerships, accessible technologies, and universal design methods.

Clarify ADA coverage: Congress should reaffirm the intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and clarify who is covered and eligible for workplace accommodations, including the definition of disability without regard to accommodations or other mitigating measures, to reduce employer uncertainty and fear of the unknown.

Improve vocational rehabilitation and workforce investment services and outcomes: This should include a) additional study of vocational rehabilitation outcomes by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO); b) research on accessibility of one-stop centers and the need for increased enforcement; and c) congressional hearings on the Workforce Investment Act and the need for improved collaboration within and outside the one-stop career centers.

Modify the Social Security disability income system to promote work and advance self-sufficiency: There should be evaluation of the effectiveness of current work incentives and a multistate demonstration that allows beneficiaries to work without loss of cash benefits or health coverage for five years.

Improve access and availability of long-term services and supports: There should be a) several incremental reforms to decrease the system&#8217;s fragmentation and otherwise improve delivery of long-term services and supports and service, including establishment of a National Resource Center on Consumer Self-Direction that identifies and disseminates best practice information; and b) an AmeriWell program, which is a pre-funded, mandatory, long-term services and support model that provides all Americans of any age with coverage from birth.

Increase opportunities for self-employment: The Small Business Administration should affirm the inclusion of small businesses owned by people with disabilities as minority contractors entitled to federal procurement set-asides, and establish a National Resource Center on Self-Employment and People with Disabilities to provide training and technical assistance and improve cross-agency collaboration. Congress should establish tax incentives for corporations to purchase products and services from small businesses owned by people with disabilities.

NCD is an independent federal agency and is composed of 15 members appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate. It provides advice to the President, Congress, and executive branch agencies to promote policies, programs, practices, and procedures that guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability, and to empower individuals with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and inclusion and integration into all aspects of society.

For more information, please contact NCD&#8217;s director of communications Mark S. Quigley at
mailto:mquigley at ncd.gov
mquigley at ncd.gov
or by telephone at 202-272-2004.

# # #

Mark S. Quigley
Director of Communications
National Council on Disability
1331 F Street, NW Suite 850
Washington, DC 20004