America at Risk: Job Crisis for People with Disabilities

April 2014 — RespectAbility has released a report entitled “America at Risk: Job Crisis for People with Disabilities – Views on Solutions from 3839 People on the Front Lines.” The report compiles data from a nationwide survey and focus groups of people with and without disabilities to highlight the current attitudes and practices regarding employment of people with disabilities. Findings from the report highlight that despite the disparity seen in the low employment of people with disabilities; approximately 71% of survey respondents noted the importance of employment and independence. A change was also seen in the attitude towards disabilities among younger people with disabilities, with   82% of respondents ages 18-29 reporting that “their disability gave them a challenge and that they are more capable because of it,” as compared to 69% of all respondents with disabilities. The report cites the largest barrier to employment of people with disabilities as the perceptions and attitudes of employers and suggests that additional training may be needed for employers. Of the report, Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, RespectAbilityUSA President, noted, “While the US Census and other reports measure many demographics of Americans with disabilities, RespectAbilityUSA’s report is unprecedented in its size and scope of asking people with disabilities and other stakeholders their own real-life experiences and opinions. People with disabilities need to be heard regarding the policies and practices that impact us the most.”