Disabilities should not be barrier to job

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), an opportune time to evaluate whether or not there are truly opportunities for individuals with disabilities to participate fully in our community.

While there have been slight improvements in the national statistics regarding unemployment rates and individuals with disabilities, finding meaningful employment continues to be a challenge for many. Individuals with disabilities continue to suffer unemployment rates (12.1 percent) more than twice as high as that of workers without disabilities (4.8 percent), according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report released in June 2016.

Additionally, a much higher percentage of workers with a disability were employed part time, as compared to those with no disability.

The theme for NDEAM this year is “Inclusion Works.” By making inclusion a core value in the workplace, by embracing individual differences, businesses can discover great benefits in fostering a culture of understanding and cooperation, and will find they have a wider variety of tools available to successfully address challenges and opportunities.

Since its inception in 1902, Goodwill Industries has been committed to providing job opportunities to job seekers with disabilities and other barriers to employment. Goodwill provides job training and employment opportunities as well as placement and support services and rehabilitation programs. We celebrate each of our team members for the abilities and aspirations they bring to the table.

We congratulate local business owners with the vision to give those who may have been overlooked elsewhere a chance. We look forward to a day when ALL Americans with disabilities who have a desire to work and achieve self-sufficiency will be able to find employment and make important contributions to the workplace and their communities.

This story was originally published October 7, 2016 at 6:34 PM with the headline "Disabilities should not be barrier to job."