At a time when unemployment and poverty among people with disabilities stand at dramatically high levels, the federal government kicked off Disability Employment Awareness Month with a proclamation from President Obama.

Data compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that only 18.4 percent of working-aged people with disabilities had jobs as of August of this year. By comparison, about 64.6 percent of people without disabilities were employed.

An excerpt from the president’s statement:

This month, we rededicate ourselves to fostering an inclusive work culture that welcomes the skills and talents of all qualified employees.

… I call on all Americans to celebrate the contributions of individuals with disabilities to our workplaces and communities, and to promote the employment of individuals with disabilities to create a better, more inclusive America, one in which every person is rightly recognized for his or her abilities and accomplishments.

See also:

October named disability awareness month in Tennessee — WTVC-TV Chattanooga

Cornell institute gets grant for disabilities employment — Ithaca [NY] Journal

Companies honored for hiring those with disabilities — Tallahassee Democrat

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 1st, 2009 at 6:34 pm and is filed under employment/jobs, NOT2BEMISSED, Obama administration, poverty. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.