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AAPD CO-SPONSORS ROLLOUT OF THE 2011 ANNUAL DISABILITY STATISTICS COMPENDIUM AND FIRST ANNUAL RESEARCH-TO-POLICY ROUNDTABLE

From AAPD (11.8.2011):

By Julie Arostegui, AAPD Policy Advisor

On November 2, 2011 AAPD co-sponsored, with the University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability (UNH IOD), the First Annual Research-to-Policy Roundtable as part of the rollout of the 2011 Disability Statistics Compendium.  The event, which took place on Capitol Hill, brought together disability advocates, policymakers and researchers to discuss ways that research can assist policymakers in developing better coordination between safety net programs and employment services for people with disabilities. 

In the morning, representatives from the Center for Disease Control, U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and Office of Disability and Employment Policy (ODEP) and the National Center for Health Statistics joined Andrew Houtenville of UNH/IOD to offer an overview of the statistics and give perspectives on data collection.

During the afternoon Research-to-Policy Roundtable, Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) welcomed the group and staffers from the offices of Senator Tom Harken (D-IA), Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Representative George Miller (D-CA) joined AAPD CEO Mark Perriello to offer legislative perspectives and discuss implications of the Disability Statistics Compendium for policy making.  The panelists acknowledged the importance of such discussions in providing information to legislators. 

The Disability Statistics Compendium annually compiles and reports statistics pertaining to people with all types of disabilities.  AAPD works with the University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability (UNH/IOD) to produce the Compendium, a project funded by the National Institute on Disability Research and Rehabilitation.

The 2011 Compendium serves as a reference guide for policymakers, compiling data on the prevalence of disability, employment participation, educational attainment and health status, federal expenditures, and state-level data. Discussion of the statistics focused on a persistent and continuing trend of high unemployment and poverty among people with disabilities.  For instance:

• Working-age people with disabilities have a 16.1% unemployment rate, almost double the 8.5% unemployment rate for people without disabilities.
• 27.3% of people aged 18-64 with disabilities who live in the community live in poverty, compared with 12.8% of their counterparts without disabilities. 

Reversing this trend must be a high priority.  The Roundtable discussion offered a valuable starting point for researchers and advocates to work with policymakers to use disability statistics to make good policy for people with disabilities. 

Click here for more information about the Disability Statistics Compendium

Click here for more information about UNH IOD

AAPD Announces Release of 2011 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 2, 2011

Media Contact: Lara Schwartz, VP of External Affairs
Email: lschwartz@aapd.com

 AAPD Announces Release of 2011 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium

Poverty among people with disabilities hits 27.3%, unemployment 16.1%

Persistent Trend in Unemployment of People with Disabilities Must be Reversed

WASHINGTON, DC – November 2, 2011 – The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the nation’s largest cross-disability membership organization, is pleased to support the publication of the 2011 Disability Statistics Compendium released today at an event on Capitol Hill. This Compendium provides new data on the status of Americans with disabilities.  

The Compendium data shows that:

• Working-age people with disabilities have a 16.1% unemployment rate, a substantive increase from 14.1% in September 2010.  In contrast, there is an 8.5% unemployment rate for people without disabilities.
• 27.3% of people aged 18-64 with disabilities who live in the community live in poverty, compared with 12.8% of their counterparts without disabilities. 
• From 2009 to 2010, the percentage of the total US population with a disability grew by 2.0 percentage points. 

“Reversing the persistent and continuing trend of high unemployment and poverty among people with disabilities has to be a top priority in this country,” said AAPD’s President and CEO, Mark Perriello. “People with disabilities want to work. We want opportunities in the private and public sectors that lead to good, meaningful jobs and a secure economic future.  Job creation initiatives need to address the barriers to employment that many people with disabilities still face, and promote equal opportunity.” he added.

The Disability Statistics Compendium reports statistics pertaining to people with all types of disabilities every year.  Such statistics are often difficult to find because there are numerous government agencies that generate and publish many reports. As a result, specific disability statistics are often scattered or buried in documents and web sites all across the Federal government. AAPD works with the University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability (UNH/IOD) to address these research problems in the effort to produce the Compendium, a project funded by the National Institute on Disability Research and Rehabilitation.

The 2011 Compendium serves as a reference guide for policymakers, compiling data on the prevalence of disability, employment participation, educational attainment and health status, federal expenditures, and state-level data.

Click here for more information about the Disability Statistics Compendium 

Click here for more information about UNH/IOD

For more information on AAPD, please visit http://www.aapd.com 

Seizing Internship Opportunities

by Sarah Amin, AAPD Programs Intern

“We are lucky to have grown up in the post-ADA generation. The ADA has done a lot for us, but we have a long way to go. Let’s influence the generations after us, and show them that what is good for us is good for everyone else”-Leah Katz-Hernandez, AAPD Youth Transitions Fellow

 On Thursday, October 6, Gallaudet University’s Career Center hosted the event, “Finding Your Perfect Experience to Jump-Start Your Career,” featuring a presentation by guest-speaker Leah Katz-Hernandez, former Gallaudet student and current The HSC Foundation Youth Transitions Fellow with AAPD. The goal of the information session was to highlight meaningful internship experiences as crucial stepping stones to future employment for students with disabilities. As the Youth Transitions Fellow, Leah works closely with The Greater Washington Internship Coalition to develop innovative ways to facilitate collaboration among internship programs serving young people with disabilities in the Greater Washington, DC area. The Coalition is a one-stop opportunity for college students and emerging professionals with disabilities to obtain information on internship programs committed to being accessible and including disability within their framework of diversity.  For more information about the Greater Washington Internship Coalition, please visit www.aapd.com/internshipcoalition.

Before an overflowing crowd of students, faculty, and staff in the I. King Jordan Student Activities Center (named after the university’s first deaf president), Leah took the stage and captivated the audience with stories of her own personal experiences. As a deaf student, she had a very positive and comfortable transition to college life at Gallaudet University, where all programs and services are designed specifically for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. But she stressed that for all individuals with disabilities, the post-college world should be no less intimidating.  There are plenty of internships out there for students with disabilities, in every interest area, from science to public policy to the arts. Students and young professionals should confidently reach out and grab internship opportunities that will test their full potential. As Leah put it, “Don’t let opportunities pass you by!”

During the segment, “Out There: Being a Deaf Intern, ” Leah invited a panel of speakers to the stage, featuring Dylan Hinks, who recently participated in the AAPD Summer Internship program, working in the office of Rep. Ed Markey. Currently a junior at Gallaudet, Dylan’s motto after his internship experience is “Know Thy Opportunities.” His advice to fellow students who are applying for internships is to “Ask for help! Don’t be scared to ask your teachers to help you look over your applications. Don’t be shy!”  Also featured on the panel was Briana Johnson, who had previously interned for Rep. Sam Brownback. Leah, Dylan, and Briana are great role models for other motivated students who wish to take full advantage of programs within the Coalition to secure brighter futures in the professional arena.

The AAPD Summer Internship Program offers undergraduate and graduate students as well as recent graduates with disabilities the opportunity to work in public service for ten weeks on Capitol Hill, at federal agencies, and non-profit organizations. The AAPD Summer Internship Program allows students with disabilities to gain invaluable hands-on experience in government, including insight into government office operations, public policy development, law-making and research, and constituents’ roles in the legislative and administrative processes.  

For more about the AAPD Summer Internship Program, visit www.aapd.com/internships or e-mail internships@aapd.com. AAPD’s program is just one among nearly thirty great programs within the Greater Washington Internship Coalition. For the full list of participating organizations, please visit www.aapd.com/internshipcoalition. 

 

Increasing Diversity in the Workplace

by Helena Berger, AAPD Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Office

Last week I traveled to Philadelphia to be a panelist on Comcast’s Diversity & Inclusion Enrichment Series.  Each month the Enrichment Series celebrates the diversity of their employees, the work they do, and how diversity strengthens the communities they serve, and in the process, their business.  This month Comcast was celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Joining me on the panel was Comcast’s Director of Recruitment, AAPD’s board member Fred Maahs who is Comcast's Sr. Director of Community Investment, Vice Chair of NBCUniversal Pictures & EVP of NBCUniversal Studios, and Comcast’s Senior Counsel. The theme of the panel was profit by investing in workers with disabilities – people with disabilities represent a highly skilled talent pool that can help employers compete in today’s economy. 

The one-hour panel discussed a wide array of topics, from eradicating attitudinal barriers to employment, to best practices for indentifying qualified candidates with disabilities, to improving disability employee awareness, and creating a culture where all employees feel comfortable seeking the things they need to perform their jobs effectively.  Most of the panel and audience were surprised, if not shocked, when I revealed the current disability employment statistic.  As of September 2011, the labor force participation rate for people with disabilities -- those individuals working, actively looking for work, and available to work -- was 21.1%; for people without disabilities it was 69.7%.  So, 21 years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), people with disabilities continue to face pervasive unemployment.  While our society has become far more accessible to people with disabilities, the promise of equal employment opportunities remains largely unfulfilled.

To strengthen the path toward equality and full access for people with disabilities, the public and private sectors will need to work together to increase employment opportunities and address disincentives to employment.  People with disabilities should not have to fear losing their health care and other public benefits in the quest for a job.  Access to transportation, personal care assistance, education, and training must be improved for people with disabilities to participate fully in the 21st century workforce.  And, like Comcast, more private sector companies need to commit to improving employment outcomes for people with disabilities as part of their diversity efforts by devoting human and financial resources to creating inclusive workplaces.  With an enhanced focus from the business community and support from the government, we may finally begin to see an increase in the employment of people with disabilities.    

 

Disability Mentoring Day 2011 Launches in Chicago

On Friday, October 14^th AAPD partnered with Chicago’s Mayor’s office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) for the 2011 Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) National Launch.

Last week’s launch at Malcolm X College was a huge success, showcasing Chicago’s outstanding model and success in furthering the employment of youth with disabilities. The theme for the 2011 DMD National Launch was “Transition to Independent Futures”, focusing on the importance of education, employment, and independent living for people with disabilities. The morning started with outstanding keynote speeches from Commissioner Karen Tamley--MOPD, Allison Donnelly--Transition Manager for Chicago Public Schools, Mark Perriello--President and CEO of AAPD, Joyce Bender-- President and CEO of Bender Consulting and AAPD's Board Chair and Dr. Harvey Davis--Director of Installations and Logistics for NSA. The morning ended with wonderful skits prepared by the students, teaching the participants the right and wrong way to interview for a job. For the rest of the day, more than 300 young people participated in career building activities and workshops that will prepare them for the next stage in their lives.

The DMD National Launch kicks-off hundreds of DMD programs across the country. The programs are coordinated by a proximity 200 AAPD volunteers, implementing programs tailored to employers and students. DMD promotes career development for students and jobseekers with disabilities through hands-on career exploration, on-site job shadowing, and mentoring which leads to internship and employment opportunities. It is currently the nation’s largest job-shadowing program designed for people with disabilities.

 

Disability Mentoring Day is supported nationally by:

Platinum Partners Walmart, American Airlines, CSC

Gold Partners AT&T, IBM, SAP, SCI

Silver Partners Darden Restaurants

Bronze Partners ARAMARK, the US Office of Personnel Management, the US Office on Disability Employment Policy, Siemens, Walmart/Sam’s Club

 

Patrons Amerigroup, Bayer, FedEx Ground, the Job Accommodation Network, the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation, the National Security Agency, TimeWarner and USA Characters Unite.

 

Transportation and Job Opportunity

by AAPD's VP of External Affairs, Lara Schwartz

Unemployment is high and job creation is a top priority for America.  But job creation is not the only piece of the puzzle.  For many Americans including those with disabilities and people with low incomes, job opportunity cannot exist without job access. Even if a person is offered her dream job, there is no true opportunity if she lacks accessible transportation to get to the interview. 

As Congress and the Administration consider how to combat unemployment, it’s important that they include accessible, affordable transportation in their agenda.   People with disabilities disproportionately lack access to cars, but most of our nation’s transportation investments continue to focus on car-based travel.  Options such as rail, commuter buses, and transit-oriented development—which means building employment, housing, and community services around accessible transit—not only increase opportunities for people with disabilities, they benefit the entire community by reducing traffic and pollution, enabling senior citizens to be closer to services and activities, and providing options for lower-income workers who can ill afford the $9,000 per year that it costs to own and maintain a car. 

Click here to learn more about how access to transportation affects job opportunity.

 

 

Disability Matters Radio Show Highlights Disability Mentoring Day 2011

How can people with disabilities create career opportunities? Each week, AAPD Board Chair Joyce Bender discusses the employment and empowerment of people with disabilities on her radio show: Disability Matters. Today’s edition of Disability Matters features Michael Murray, AAPD Director of Programs, offering listeners info and insight on Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) 2011. DMD, a job-shadow and career exploration program, links students and jobseekers with disabilities to employers interested in hiring people with disabilities. Every year, AAPD coordinates DMD through a network of more than 200 volunteers. 

DMD 2011 will take place on Wednesday, October 19th. 

To listen in, click here.

Disability Matters is on the VoiceAmerica Channel every Tuesday from 2:00pm - 3:00 pm EST.

For more on Disability Mentoring Day 2011, please visit disabilitymentor.net.

 

AAPD Announces October Disability Mentoring Day Events

American Association of People with Disabilities’ Disability Mentoring Day Events to take place in October

“Disability Mentoring Day is a testament to what responsible employers, energized volunteers, and AAPD can do together to promote employment opportunity,” said AAPD President and CEO Mark Perriello

Contacts:
Lara Schwartz, 202-521-4309, lschwartz@aapd.com 
Frankie Mastrangelo, 202-521-4308, fmastrangelo@aapd.com 

 

Washington, D.C. – (September 19, 2011) – The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) announces its 2011 Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) events.   Disability Mentoring Day events at work sites, workshops and job fairs provide valuable first-hand experience to students and job-seekers with disabilities.  This experience has helped thousands of past participants develop lasting relationships and secure internships or jobs.

 

DMD began as an event at the White House for a few dozen students in 1999.  In 2010, AAPD worked with over 200 volunteers and 19 DMD National Sponsors to support 13,000 students and job-seekers with disabilities participating in DMD events at sites across the country. 

 

This year, AAPD and the Chicago Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) will host the DMD National Launch at Malcolm X College in Chicago. The National Launch will mark the start of hundreds of DMD programs nationwide.

 

“Disability Mentoring Day is a testament to what responsible employers, energized volunteers, and AAPD can do together to promote employment opportunity,” said AAPD President and CEO Mark Perriello.  “With unemployment among people with disabilities nearly twice as high as for our peers without disabilities, this is critical work.  This program provides students and job seekers with disabilities a hands-on experience with the workforce that lays a foundation for future success,” he added.

 

AAPD is proud to partner with:

Platinum Partners Walmart, American Airlines, CSC

Gold Partners AT&T, IBM, SAP, SCI

Silver Partners Darden Restaurants

Bronze Partners ARAMARK, the US Office of Personnel Management, the US Office on Disability Employment Policy, Siemens, Walmart Sam’s Club

Patrons Amerigroup, Bayer, FedEx Ground, the Job Accommodation Network, the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation, the National Security Agency, TimeWarner and USA Characters Unite.

 

For more information, contact AAPD at 800-840-8844 (V/TTY), by email at dmd@aapd.com or visit the AAPD website at www.aapd.com.

 

The American Association of People with Disabilities promotes equal opportunity, economic power, independent living, and political participation for people with disabilities.  www.aapd.com

 

How Faith Groups and Religious Congregations Can Promote Full Employment of People with Disabilities

The mission of AAPD’s Interfaith Initiative is to bring the powerful and prophetic voice of the faith community to the 21^st Century disability agenda. That work is done through the Interfaith Disability Advocacy Coalition (IDAC) which has 25 members from the Christian, Jewish, Islamic and Hindu traditions.

During October’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month, IDAC is asking religious organizations (congregations, seminaries, denominations or faith groups) to commit to increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities and to sign on to the Statement of Solidarity by the Religious Community around Employment of People with Disabilities.

The Statement of Solidarity and the Sign On Form can be found at the link below. Names of religious organizations which are already signed on are listed by state.

          www.aapd.com/IDAC/StatementofSolidarity

 This is a simple but significant action which any congregation or faith group can take. Americans of many faiths believe that work brings dignity, self respect and responsibility and that the lack of work is demoralizing, socially isolating and wasteful of a person’s abilities. Religious organizations listed on the Statement of Solidarity pledge to promote the full employment of people with disabilities.

Please read the Statement and return the Form during National Disability Employment Awareness Month – October 2011.

With great thanks.

Ginny Thornburgh, Director, AAPD Interfaith Initiative and IDAC Convener

 

Unemployment Down for General Population, Up for People with Disabilities

via AAPD (8.5.11):
 

 

People with Disabilities Remain Unemployed at Higher Rate than Other Americans

July Stats Show Year-Over-Year Increase in Unemployment for Americans with Disabilities

 

While the unemployment rate for Americans without disabilities dipped slightly in July, the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) decried the disproportionately high unemployment rate for people with disabilities and its increase since July 2010. 

“A 16.8 percent unemployment rate is unacceptable.” says Mark Perriello, President and CEO of the nation’s largest cross-disability advocacy organization. This is a significant increase from July 2010, when we were at 16.4%. This needs to change.”

“More than three quarters of a million people without disabilities have been hired over the last year,” Perriello added. “It’s time for employers to step up to the plate, set some targets, and hire qualified people from our community as well.”

“For a qualified person with a disability who wants to work, who wants to get out there and contribute to her community, to be responsible for herself — we can’t say to that person, no, this country doesn’t value what you have to offer.” said Joyce Bender, AAPD Board Chair and President of Bender Consulting. "We need to open the doors of freedom through competitive employment to all people," she added.

According to the latest information released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 970,000 people with disabilities were unemployed in July 2011, compared to 919,000 last year.  [BLS table at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t06.htm]

AAPD has long recognized that employment plays a critical role in economic sufficiency and independence for people with disabilities. The organization is committed to improving employment outcomes for people with disabilities, and reversing the persistently high percentages of people with disabilities who are not working but are ready, willing, and able to work.   

For more on AAPD and employment visit: http://www.aapd.com/site/c.pvI1IkNWJqE/b.5606959/k.6189/Disability_Employment.htm