In today’s workplace culture, elevated expectations and the effects of the global pandemic are turning the modern job landscape into a shifting wave pool of opportunity that is increasingly difficult to break into and navigate, whether a person is disabled or not. As the 2022 U.S. Census found, “Only 41 percent of disabled working-age New Yorkers are employed, compared with 48 percent across the United States—a difference of seven percentage points.” This demonstrates a staggering lack of employer knowledge and chances for the disabled community to have successful careers within their desired fields. As a college student, sometimes I wonder if I will be able to find work and a community that I enjoy when I am finished with my studies.
An essential element to finding work is transportation. While able-bodied people commonly deal with traffic or fluctuating gas prices, being disabled can be more complicated because it means that we often must plan in advance when traveling. Trips can be taxing because a lot of us rely on public transport or family members to help us out. I have researched using paratransit services, but these services do not fully cover the Long Island area in one ride, so if I were to use the company, I would have to book two separate rides just to travel over county lines. These transportation issues can lead to low employment rates for disabled workers.
To help close the gap in employment for people with disabilities and promote a more inclusive workplace environment, October is National Disability Employment Awareness (NDEAM). As the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy emphasizes, “NDEAM’s purpose is to confirm our commitment to ensuring disabled workers have access to good jobs, every month of every year.” Helpful tactics to achieve this include providing disability education courses for staff and employers to better understand disability. This, in turn, will enable everyone to have improved communication and equal access to do their job effectively in a supportive environment.
It is times like NDEAM when we can show that people with disabilities are valuable in the workforce and every other aspect of our communities.
Opinions expressed are solely those of the writer(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Able News at The Viscardi Center and/or The Viscardi Center.