LANGLEY AFB, VA. –
In 1945, Congress enacted Public Law 176, designating October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month. This was done to recognize the enormous potential of individuals with disabilities and to ensure their full integration into the workforce.
In the Air Force, individuals with disabilities are making important contributions in the workplace every day.
This month recognizes their accomplishments and reaffirms the commitment to them, ensuring the opportunities of this great nation are available and accessible to every citizen. The theme for this year is "Americans with Disabilities: Ready for the Global Workforce."
"This year's theme reflects the fact that increasing the opportunities for Americans with disabilities in the workforce can produce far-reaching, positive results for employers," said Roy Grizzard, Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Office of Disability Employment Policy. "The month of October is used to highlight the talents and skills of job seekers and working Americans who have disabilities."
People with disabilities bring a unique, yet underrepresented perspective of diversity to the workplace. Air Force-wide, people with disabilities represent 6.8 percent of the civilian workforce; and people with targeted disabilities (e.g. blindness, deafness, paralysis and mental illness) are at 0.8 percent.
The latter figure, people with targeted disabilities, is well below the Department of Defense goal of 2 percent and continues a long-term decline. In order to improve the overall employment rate for people with targeted disabilities, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently implemented a new initiative called LEAD: Leadership for the Employment of Americans with Disabilities. This initiative is aimed at reversing the trend and eliminating barriers facing individuals with targeted disabilities in obtaining federal employment.
The Langley Program for People with Disabilities is one of the lst Fighter Wing's Special Emphasis Programs that works with commanders, supervisors and management officials to enhance the employment and advancement opportunities of minorities, women and people with disabilities.
The purpose of the PPD is to promote the recruitment, employment and advancement of persons with disabilities; identify and remove architectural barriers in the work place; provide management recommendations on reasonable accommodations; assist, counsel and identify needs and concerns of employees or applicants with disabilities; and plan and publicize special events to recognize the employment and accomplishments of employees with disabilities.
People must strive to meet the DoD goal together, keeping in mind that every group has people with disabilities. Slowly but surely, improvements are being made.
As more people with disabilities join the workforce and employers realize their value, employment opportunities for people with disabilities will continue to increase. Still, more work remains. We must continue our efforts to enable Americans with disabilities to live and work with greater freedom.
For more information about the PPD program, call Ronald Kommer at 764-8443.