Washington, D.C., May 4 – When former Vice President Joe Biden threw his hat into the race for President of the United States, he became the 20th Democratic candidate to run for president in the 2020 election. He immediately led in most national and early primary state polls. When analyzing…
Washington, D.C. April 22 – Before 2018, most of the country had never heard of former Congressman Robert “Beto” O’Rourke (D) from the 16th District of Texas. Today, he is a household name due to his nearly successful, entirely grassroots, U.S. Senate campaign during the 2018 midterm elections. O’Rourke narrowly…
Washington, D.C., April 18 – The first woman and first African American to be California’s Attorney General, Sen. Kamala Harris was the first woman of color to enter the 2020 presidential race. If she were to win the presidential election, she would be the first woman president and the first woman of color to sit in the Oval Office.
It is no coincidence that she announced her candidacy on MLK day, as her campaign, much like her career, is focused on civil rights. Her campaign tagline is “of the people, by the people, for all people.” She prides herself in protecting the most vulnerable Americans, as explained in her Senate biography. People with disabilities are, arguably, the most vulnerable members of society. So, naturally, her career and presidential campaign should reflect a continued fight for disability rights. But she still has much room for improvement on disability issues.
Washington, D.C., April 12th – While nationally 111,804 jobs were gained by people with disabilities, 1,156 went to people with disabilities living in Washington State. The newly published 2018 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium shows there are 480,828 working-age (18-64) people with disabilities living in Washington State. Out of that number, only 194,948 have jobs.…
Washington, D.C., April 9 – Senator Amy Klobuchar, the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Minnesota is running with the slogan, “Amy for America.” People with disabilities comprise 20 percent of our country’s population, and more than half of Americans have a loved one with a disability. A…
Washington, D.C., April 8 – During the 2019 National Governors’ Association winter meeting, newly elected Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers said that “education is the most important issue in Wisconsin” and pledged a $1.4 billion dollar investment in his state’s schools. Out of that investment, Gov. Evers pledged a “600 million dollar…
Washington, D.C., April 8 – With 74 percent of likely voters having a disability themselves or have a family member or a close friend with disabilities, 2020 presidential candidates are finding an important reason to ensure their campaigns are fully accessible for all Americans. “I’m running for president because we need…
Washington, D.C., April 2 – Nationwide 111,804 people with disabilities got new jobs last year, including 19,745 new jobs for Californians with disabilities. The Golden State now ranks 35th among the 50 states in terms of the employment rate for people with disabilities. The newly published 2018 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium shows there…
Washington, D.C., April 2 – While 111,804 jobs were gained by people with disabilities, 2,240 went to Louisianans with disabilities. The newly published 2018 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium shows there are 361,642 working-age (18-64) people with disabilities living in Louisiana. Out of that number, only 122,683 have jobs. That means…
Washington, D.C., April 1 – Nationwide 111,804 people with disabilities got new jobs last year, including 11,473 new jobs for New Yorkers with disabilities. The Empire State now ranks 38th among the 50 states in terms of employment rates for people with disabilities. The newly published 2018 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium shows there…
Washington, D.C., March 29 – Amid a trend of nationwide job growth for people with disabilities, Kansas is outperforming far bigger states like California and Texas. According a new report by the nonpartisan advocacy group RespectAbility, the Sunflower State now ranks 7th in the nation for employment of people with disabilities,…
Washington, D.C., March 28 – Amid a trend of nationwide job growth for people with disabilities, Minnesota is outperforming far bigger states like California and Texas. According a new report by the nonpartisan advocacy group RespectAbility, the North Star State now ranks 5th in the nation for employment of people with disabilities.…
Washington, D.C., March 28 – While nationally 111,804 jobs were gained by people with disabilities, 9,887 people with disabilities left Oregon’s workforce last year. Oregon now ranks 26th in the nation in terms of the state’s employment for people with disabilities. Out of the 288,493 working-age (18-64) Oregon residents disclosed living…
Washington, D.C., March 27 – Nationwide 111,804 people with disabilities got new jobs last year, including 10,471 new jobs for Virginians with disabilities. Virginia now ranks 18th among the 50 states in terms of the Commonwealth’s employment rate for people with disabilities. The newly published 2018 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium shows there…
Washington, D.C., March 24 – While nationally 111,804 jobs were gained by people with disabilities, 708 people with disabilities in Delaware exited the workforce last year. “After strong job growth for people with disabilities the year before, this is a troubling development,” said Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, president of RespectAbility. “People with disabilities…
Washington, D.C., March 24 – Nationwide 111,804 people with disabilities got new jobs last year, including 3,067 new jobs for Mainers with disabilities. Maine now ranks 36th in the nation in terms of the state’s employment rate for people with disabilities. Overall, there are 112,442 working-age (18-64) Maine residents living with…
Washington, D.C., March 23 –While nationally 111,804 jobs were gained by people with disabilities, 810 people with disabilities left Hawaii’s workforce last year. Said Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, president of RespectAbility, “After strong job growth for people with disabilities in the state, this is a troubling development. People with disabilities want the income…
Washington, D.C., March 20 – Amid a nationwide trend of job growth for people with disabilities, Rhode Island has overcome great challenges to become 19th in the nation in terms of disability employment. According to the 2018 Disability Statistics Compendium, out of 75,806 working-age (18-64) Rhode Islanders with disabilities, 30,787 have…
Washington, D.C., March 17 – Nationwide 111,804 people with disabilities got new jobs last year, including 7,921 new jobs for New Mexicans with disabilities. New Mexico now ranks 43rd in the nation in terms of the state’s employment rate for people with disabilities. Overall, there are 169,264 working-age (18-64) New Mexico natives with disabilities and out of that number, 57,005 have jobs. The newly published 2018 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium shows New Mexico has an employment rate of 33.7 percent for people with disabilities. Further analysis by the nonpartisan advocacy group RespectAbility shows that job gains for New Mexicans with disabilities have dramatically increased compared to the prior year.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has been quick to signal her deep commitment to support the disability community in New Mexico. Among her first actions as Governor was to appoint a disability rights lawyer to lead the state’s Department of Aging and Long-Term Services. So far this year, Gov. Lujan Grisham has also pushed hard to expand “funding for services to individuals with developmental disabilities.”
The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) has made a special effort to celebrate this March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The Department’s goal is to promote respect for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as building awareness of the challenges faced by New Mexico’s citizens with disabilities. Public awareness and support are crucial to ensuring that people with disabilities are welcome in their communities and in the workforce.
Washington, D.C., March 13 – While nationally 111,804 jobs were gained by people with disabilities, 16,355 people with disabilities in North Carolina exited the workforce last year. North Carolina now ranks 42nd in the nation for employment rates of people with disabilities with only 232,875 of the 689,612 working-age (18-64) North Carolinians with disabilities having jobs. The newly published 2018 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium shows North Carolina has a 33.8 disability employment rate.
Despite these challenges, Gov. Roy Cooper has been a vocal supporter of his state’s disability community. Last year, in recognition of the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Gov. Cooper wrote: “We must focus on helping North Carolinians with disabilities pursue opportunities for education and careers, and encourage employers to make our state a national model for diverse workplaces.”
Cooper also reiterated, “We’ve made progress since this landmark legislation was signed into law 28 years ago, but we have more to do to assure equal and full participation in community life for North Carolinians living with disabilities.”
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, RespectAbility’s president who is originally from Durham, North Carolina, said: “Last year we saw an improvement in jobs for people with disabilities in North Carolina. Thus, for thousands of people with disabilities in North Carolina to lose their jobs – especially at a time when other states are improving – is deeply disappointing. I know that Carolinians are capable of doing much better on these issues. I look forward to future progress.”
