TO THE EDITOR:
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Unfortunately, it is poorly publicized, and few people know of its existence. Even on the U.S. Department of Labor website it occupies only a tiny segment and is challenging to find. This seemingly innocuous placement speaks volumes about the overall attitude toward disability employment here in the United States, and the lack of representation and attention the topic receives.
For many individuals with disabilities, the opportunities available after high school are sparse. The U.S. Bureau for Labor Statistics shows labor force participation for people with a disability stands at only 20.5 percent, while for people without, the rate is more than 60 percent. The unemployment rate paints a similar picture — for August, the national unemployment rate was 7.3 percent, but the rate for people with a disability was nearly twice that. This huge gap need not persist, and surely only exists to such a large extent as a result of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities being forced into the traditional paradigm of working life.
In reality, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities could participate to exactly the same extent as those without disabilities if only the opportunities existed and the jobs were better suited to their abilities and talents. I refuse to believe that we live in an age in which technology and innovative thinking do not make this possible.
It is important to not mistake this sentiment for sympathy — a job should mean exactly the same to any given person, irrespective of whether or not they have a disability. A job can provide an individual with a sense of self-worth, meaning and most of all a sense of dignity. No group should be excluded from exercising this right, and the more people hear about this issue and discuss it, the more likely it is that people will strive for and achieve meaningful change.
Jack Witty ’15
Economics
Political science
