The large crowd spilled out of the Executive Board Meeting Room and into the hall, letting out a huge cheer as Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon signed the resolution proclaiming October as Snohomish County Disability Employment Awareness Month. With that signature, Snohomish County officially joined in the celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), a month when the nation marks the contributions of persons with disabilities to the workforce.
The origins of NDEAM date back to 1945, when many injured veterans were returning to the workforce and Congress began an effort to educate the American public about issues related to disability and employment. A law was enacted declaring the first week in October each year “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” In 1962, the word “physically” was removed to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. In 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and changed the name to “National Disability Employment Awareness Month” (NDEAM); a month “to recognize the contributions of Americans with disabilities and to encourage all citizens to ensure equal opportunity in the workforce.”
Over the years several laws have been passed, increasing opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in all aspects of community life. None has had a more profound impact than the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), enacted in 1990, and viewed as America’s promise of equal access to opportunity for all citizens. This landmark federal law protects the rights of people with disabilities by eliminating barriers to their participation in many aspects of living and working in America. A major section of the ADA prohibits covered employers from discriminating against people with disabilities in the full range of employment-related activities, from recruitment to advancement, pay and benefits.
Hailed by many for opening doors for many thousands of persons with disabilities, the ADA has sometimes been viewed with suspicion by employers. These views have been fueled by myths surrounding the act. Some of the more common myths (courtesy of www.dol.gov/odep) and the facts that present the realities inherent in the law are:
Myth: The ADA forces employers to hire unqualified individuals with disabilities.
Fact: Applicants who are unqualified for a job cannot claim discrimination under the ADA. An individual must be qualified and meet all requirements for a job and be able to perform its essential functions with or without reasonable accommodations.
Myth: When there are several qualified applicants for a job and one has a disability, the ADA requires the employer to hire that person.
Fact: An employer is always free to hire the applicant of its choosing as long as the decision is not based on disability.
Myth: The ADA gives job applicants with disabilities advantages over job applicants without disabilities.
Fact: The ADA does not give hiring preference to persons with disabilities.
Myth: Under the ADA, employers must give people with disabilities special privileges, known as accommodations.
Fact: Reasonable accommodations are intended to ensure that qualified individuals with disabilities have rights in employment equal, not superior, to those of individuals without disabilities.
Thousands of employers throughout Washington have discovered the benefits of including people with disabilities in their workplace. Some of these benefits include:
* Employing people with disabilities is good for the individual, the business, and society.
* Employing people with disabilities can ease concerns about labor supply.
* Employees with disabilities can relate better to customers with disabilities, who represent $1 trillion in annual aggregate consumer spending.
* People with disabilities are better educated than ever.
* Companies that hire and accommodate people with disabilities in their workplaces can receive tax benefits.
* Diverse work groups can create better solutions to business challenges.
* People with disabilities are often motivated by the desire to give something back to the community, an attitude that reflects well on the business.
* Finally, it’s ability, not disability, that counts.
Some of the many available resources to assist employers include:
Job Accommodation Network (JAN): a free, confidential service from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy that provides individualized accommodation solutions and technical assistance on the ADA. 1-800-526-7234 (V/TTY)
U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) ADA Home Page
The ADA Home Page includes many excellent resources for employers, including tax incentive information.
ADA &IT Technical Assistance Centers: Ten regional ADA &IT Technical Assistance Centers provide ADA information, training and technical assistance across the nation. 1-800-949-4232 (V/TTY)
DisabilityInfo.gov is the federal government’s one-stop Web site for information of interest to people with disabilities, their families, employers, service providers and many others.
Phil McConnell is executive director of Work Opportunities, a non-profit organization promoting self-determination, self-respect, and valued participation in the community for persons with disabilities through work. He also serves on the Snohomish County Workforce Development Council.
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