Washington, D.C., March 21 – Last year, 4,725 Ohioans with disabilities found new employment opportunities, increasing the Buckeye State’s disability employment rate. The newly published 2018 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium shows that 840,199 working-age (18-64) people with disabilities live in Ohio and 309,665 of them have jobs. Ohio ranks 33rd for employment rates…
Washington, D.C., March 21 – Amid a trend of nationwide job growth for people with disabilities, Utah is outperforming far bigger states like California and Texas. According a new report by the nonpartisan advocacy group RespectAbility, the Beehive State now ranks 3rd in the nation for employment of people with disabilities.…
Washington, D.C., March 21 – Nationwide 111,804 people with disabilities got new jobs last year, including 3,796 new jobs in the Lone Star State. Texas now ranks 23rd in the nation based on the employment rate of people with disabilities. Out of 1,622,962 working-age (18-64) Texans with disabilities, 647,977 have jobs.…
Washington, D.C., March 20 – 4,679 Tennesseans with disabilities entered the workforce last year, part of a national trend of jobs gained among people with disabilities. Tennessee now ranks 44th in the nation based on the employment rate for people with disabilities. Out of the 538,061 working-age (18-64) Tennessee natives with disabilities,…
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 20 – While nationally 111,804 jobs were gained by people with disabilities, 904 South Dakotans with disabilities exited the workforce last year. Said Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, president of RespectAbility, “After strong job growth for people with disabilities in the state, this is a very troubling development. People…
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 17 – As nationally 111,804 jobs were gained by people with disabilities, 8,964 Hoosiers with disabilities entered Indiana’s workforce last year. Indiana now ranks 24th in the nation based on the employment rate for people with disabilities. Out of 477,660 working-age (18-64) people with disabilities living in the Hoosier state, 84,343 have jobs. The newly published 2018 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium shows Indiana has an employment rate of 38.6 percent for people with disabilities. Further analysis by the nonpartisan advocacy group RespectAbility shows that Indiana’s disability employment rate has steadily increased over the past three years.
Crucial to Indiana’s efforts to expand employment opportunities for Hoosiers with disabilities is the Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities. Founded in 1980, the Council works on a variety of advocacy, leadership and training opportunities across the state. In March, the Council celebrates Disability Awareness Month with a public relations campaign to raise awareness of disability issues. The theme for this year’s campaign is “Be Cool. We Are.”
Gov. Eric Holcomb is doing his part to celebrate the month and to celebrate the contributions of Hoosiers with disabilities. “Disability in no way diminishes the right of individuals with disabilities to live independently, make choices, contribute to society, and fully participate in the economic, political, social, cultural and educational mainstream of American society,” he wrote in a proclamation released on March 1st.
Washington, D.C., March 16 –While nationally 111,804 jobs were gained by people with disabilities, 6,977 people with disabilities left South Carolina’s workforce. South Carolina now ranks 45th in the nation for employment rates for people with disabilities. Out of the 376,889 working-age (18-64) South Carolina natives with disabilities, only 122,789 have jobs. The newly published 2018 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium shows South Carolina has a disability employment of only 32.6 percent for people with disabilities.
Further analysis by the nonpartisan advocacy group RespectAbility shows that the job losses in the past year come after more than 23,000 people with disabilities entered the Palmetto State’s workforce back in 2016.
Gov. Henry McMaster, who just won a full four-year term this past November, has previously expressed his desire to advance opportunities for his citizens with disabilities. “South Carolinians with disabilities have the same aspirations to competitively work and contribute to their communities as anyone else,” McMaster wrote in an October 2018 proclamation written in honor of Disability Employment Awareness Month. “All people are needed to reduce attitudinal and physical barriers that hinder the full acceptance of people with disabilities and their rightful place in employment.”
Washington, D.C., March 16 – Nationwide 111,804 people with disabilities got new jobs last year, including 8.040 new jobs in the Show Me State. Missouri now ranks 31st in the nation in terms of the employment rate for people with disabilities. Overall, there are 463,965 working-age (18-64) Missouri natives with disabilities and 172,283 have jobs. The newly published 2018 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium shows Missouri has an employment rate of 37.1 percent.
This news comes out weeks after Missouri Governor Mike Parson made a new commitment to ensure that state government becomes a model employer of people with disabilities. At a site visit with community service provider Paraquad in St. Louis, Gov. Parson said, “Making Missouri a model employer is vital to ensuring we are offering individuals living with disabilities options of secure competitive employment in the workforce. My administration’s vision for developing our workforce includes each and every Missourian.”
Parson’s announcement echoes previous statements he has made about expanding jobs for Missourians with disabilities. “Workplaces welcoming of all people, including people with disabilities, are a critical part of the efforts to build an inclusive community and strong economy,” Parson wrote in October 2018 in a proclamation celebrating Disability Employment Awareness Month.
Washington, D.C., March 15 – While nationally 111,804 jobs were gained by people with disabilities, 8,682 people with disabilities left Georgia’s workforce. Georgia now ranks 37th in the nation based on the employment rate of people with disabilities. Out of the 661,498 working-age (18-64) Georgians with disabilities, only 227,895 have jobs. The newly published 2018 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium shows Georgia has an employment rate of 34.5 percent for people with disabilities.
Further analysis by the nonpartisan advocacy group RespectAbility shows that despite the job losses in the past year, employment opportunities for Georgians with disabilities have been steadily expanding with the overall disability employment rate increasing from 33.9 percent in the previous year. Back in 2016, more than 28,000 people with disabilities entered the workforce.
“While employees with disabilities typically have higher retention rates than their non-disabled peers, a certain amount of turnover is to be expected,” said Philip Kahn-Pauli, RespectAbility’s Policy and Practices Director. “As people with disabilities enter the workforce, they are exploring different jobs and searching for the right career. Sometimes the first job isn’t a good fit. In the end, however, finding the right job for the right people with disabilities can improve business’ bottom line.”
Washington, D.C., March 8 – During the 2019 National Governors’ Association winter meeting, Gov. Matt Bevin made a strong commitment to empowering people with disabilities in Kentucky. “One of the most powerful things we could do is to elevate the awareness level of the need and the numbers of people who are affected with disabilities,” he said, adding that his stated “goal is to destigmatize” disability.
Bevin also said, “Kentucky’s environment needs every single person that has any capacity and desire to be part of the solution for our workforce.”
The newly published 2018 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium shows there are 430,265 working-age people (ages 18-64) with disabilities living in Kentucky. Out of that number, only 129,954 have jobs. That means the Bluegrass State only has a 30.2 percent disability employment rate. Further analysis by the nonpartisan advocacy group RespectAbility shows that Kentucky ranks 47th out of the 50 states for disability employment and that more than 3,900 people with disabilities left Kentucky’s workforce last year.
Washington, D.C., March 7 – During the 2019 National Governors’ Association winter meeting, newly elected Idaho Gov. Brad Little said disability employment is benefiting the entire economy of his state. “Our employment rate for the disabled is going way up,” the governor said. “That’s the old rising tides raises all ships.”
The newly published 2018 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium shows there are 125,743 working-age people (ages 18-64) with disabilities living in Idaho. Out of that number, only 54,948 Idahoans with disabilities have jobs. That means the Gem State has a disability employment rate of 43.7 percent. Further analysis by the nonpartisan advocacy group RespectAbility shows that Idaho ranks 13th in the country for disability employment and that more than 4,800 people with disabilities entered the workforce last year.
“There’s so many jobs,” added Gov. Little. “We’re getting more and more and encouraging people with disabilities [through] our Department of Labor.”
