29 YEARS LATER, THE FIGHT TO FULFILL THE PROMISE OF THE ADA CONTINUES

By Philip Kahn-Pauli – reprinted from: https://www.respectability.org/
This year marks the 29th anniversary of the enactment
of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). After years of hard work, activism and protest by thousands of people with disabilities, an American
president lifted his pen to tear down “the shameful wall of exclusion.” In signing the ADA, former President George H.W. Bush called on all Americans to join in the great work to “remove the physical barriers we have created and the social barriers that we have accepted.”
Today, nearly three decades later, the work to remove those barriers continues. “The ADA was meant to ensure that people with disabilities could earn an income and achieve independence, just like anyone else,” said former member of Congress and current Chairman of the national disability organization RespectAbility, Steve Bartlett, while reflecting on the anniversary. “Significant challenges remain to fulfill the promise of inclusion and independence.” According to the best available data, one in four American adults live with a disability. That total includes more than 61 million people living across every community in the United States. It includes people who are blind or deaf or have other visible conditions such as spinal cord injuries. It also includes peoples living with invisible
disabilities such as learning disabilities, mental health conditions or on
the Autism spectrum. Today, American with disabilities still face challenges in entering the workforce. The 2018 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium shows that out of more than 20 million working-age
people with disabilities, only 7.5 million have jobs. Overall, the employment rate for people with disabilities has risen to 37 percent (compared to 28.7 percent 29 years ago), which is still far behind that of people without disabilities. “Employment rates only tell part of the story,” added Philip Kahn-Pauli, Policy and Practices Director at RespectAbility.
“When you look across the intersection of disability and race, you find serious gaps in outcomes.” Only 28.6 percent of African Americans with disabilities have jobs compared to the 38.6 percent of Hispanics with disabilities and 41.2 percent of Asian Americans with disabilities who have jobs. Last year, 111,804 people with disabilities entered the workforce for the first. Among the 50 states, 29 states saw job gains for Americans with disabilities. The states that have added more jobs have done so because of cooperation and collaboration among leaders in the community, in government and in the school system. States that have seen remarkable
growth in jobs for people with disabilities such as Florida, Virginia and Illinois can attribute part of their success to programs such as Project SEARCH.( https:// www.projectsearch.us/_) SEARCH is a program for
young adults with disabilities to improve their skills, learn from job coaches and ultimately find a job. Data shows that 70 percent of SEARCH interns who complete their training obtain competitive employment. By
expanding such critical programs and working toward the principles of Employment First, states across the country can greatly increase the number of people with disabilities entering the workforce.
As more companies hire employees with disabilities,
conversations are shifting to focus on inclusion.
“Disability inclusion is no longer about automatic
doors, curb cuts, ramps, and legislation,” said Jim
Sinocchi, Head of the Office of Disability Inclusion at
JP Morgan Chase. “Today, the new era of disability
inclusion is about ‘assimilation’– hiring professionals
with disabilities into the robust culture of the firm.”
Brand name companies such as JP Morgan Chase,
Coca-Cola, Ernst & Young, IBM, Walgreen’s, Starbucks,
CVS and Microsoft show people with disabilities
are successful employees. Companies that
embrace employees with disabilities clearly see the
results. According to Accenture, disability-inclusive
companies have higher productivity levels and lower
staff turnover rates, are twice as likely to outperform
their peers in shareholder returns and create larger
returns on investment.
As the nation marks the anniversary of the ADA, it
is critical to remember that disability is part of the human
experience. It is nothing to fear because all of us
will be affected by it eventually, whether by accident,
aging or illness. Opening more job opportunities to
people with disabilities will mean stronger communities
and a better economy for all. That was the promise
of the ADA and it is a promise that all of us must
work to fulfill.