Statewide Independent Living
Council of Illinois

Opening Doors to Ability

For Immediate Release

The Statewide Independent Living Council of Illinois supports the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities (PCEPWD) with its theme during National Disability Employment Awareness Month:

"Opening Doors to Ability," the theme of this year's education and awareness program signifies the President's Committee's ultimate objective: the removal of attitudinal and structural barriers to employment in order for all Americans to be considered by their abilities, not their disabilities, and given an opportunity to contribute to our nation's workforce.

In the American's with Disabilities Act preamble, Congress laid out four goals for individuals with disabilities: equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency. Adopting these goals in our nation's policies and workplaces requires a profound philosophical shift -- from the presumption that people with disabilities are either incapable or less capable of work -- to a presumption that all individuals have the ability to contribute to our country's economy. People with disabilities have a right to work, a right to take care of themselves and their families, and a right to contribute to the communities in which they live.

They also have are responsibility to do so. A paycheck symbolizes economic and social independence. People with disabilities want to work and are eager to pay their taxes (PCEPWD).

Some employers have complained that the cost of accommodating people with disabilities in the workplace is too high, but a President's Committee report indicated that 68% of job accommodations cost less than $500. In addition, for every dollar spent on accommodations, the company received $28 in benefits. However, many persons with disabilities have experienced difficulty securing employment. A recent Harris Poll (1998), conducted in conjunction with the National Organization on Disability found the following issues regarding employment and income levels of persons with disabilities: Concerning employment, only 29% of adults with disabilities between the ages of 18 and 64 reported working full- or part-time in 1998. This compares to a 79% employment rate in the general population. Regarding income levels in 1997, 34% of persons with disabilities live in families with incomes below $15,000 compared to only 12% of non-disabled households.

Sufficient opportunities represent the biggest hurdle people with disabilities face when seeking gainful employment. Employers need to recognize and employ persons with disabilities, and give them the opportunity to contribute and to be self-sufficient.

For more information about employing persons with disabilities, contact the Statewide Independent Living Council of Illinois at 217/744-7777 (v/tty).

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