Every now and then I will lend my column to a member of the staff so that they can share their views.

Brian.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

By Jesse Schwartzman.

This month we celebrate October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). NDEAM was declared by Congress in 1988 to spread awareness and the contributions of people with disabilities while at work. People in the disability community want to work and are ready to work now more than ever with small businesses, corporations, and our own government looking to hire workers. Work should always include equal pay for equal work.

I am glad this month is here to bring awareness because there is still so much that needs to be done in NJ and across the country. As reported on page 12 of Advancing New Jersey’s Employment First Report, of the individuals receiving day and employment services from DDD,only 14% are in integrated employment services, which is the eighth lowest in the nation. Competitive integrated employment (CIE) is having people with disabilities earn the same pay as others without disabilities. It means those with disabilities can work where people without disabilities work. Across the country, the employment rate for adults with disabilities over the age of 25 is bleak. Among the population ages 25 to 54, around 36% of people with a disability were in the workforce, compared to 80% of those without a disability. For workers ages 65 and older, 7.3% with a disability were in the workforce, compared to 21.7% without a disability.

Since the onset of the pandemic, now hiring signs are present at most businesses, and corporations are now not only making commercials to get consumers to buy their products, but they are also attempting to get consumers to work for them. According to a survey of 1,100 businesses by Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Voices, 90% of businesses that are hiring are finding it difficult to recruit qualified candidates for open positions. In March, employers advertised a record 11.5 million job openings. The United States now has two job openings for every unemployed person. The business community at large needs to work with the disability community so more job openings can be filled by individuals with disabilities.Common misconceptions such as believing every person with a disability needs a workplace accommodation, are false. According to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce study, only 14.5 employees with disabilities request workplace accommodations. According to that same study, companies with the most inclusive workplaces for employees with disabilities experienced nearly 30% higher revenues and greater economic profits.

In NJ work is being done to get more people with disabilities jobs. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, has signed four bills that should improve the employment rate for people with disabilities in NJ. S3455 Revises eligibility requirements for NJ Workability Program and Personal Assistance Services Program. This means individuals with disabilities on Medicaid can continue to receive services while starting or continuing to work without an income cap or age cap. Bill S1937 signed by the Governor in 2021 establishes a task force to promote employment by state agencies for people with disabilities, Bill A5294 signed by the Governor this year, provides fast-track hiring and advancement employment opportunities by the state for persons with significant disabilities. Lastly, Bill A5296 signed by the Governor this year provides for employment by the state of certain persons with disabilities. All four have yet to be implemented and we hope that Governor Murphy’s administration gets to work on the legislation. This month we honor our Disability Employers, employees, and the Future of work for people with Disabilities there is so much more to be done.

Jesse

Sometimes things are happening so fast that there is scarcely enough time to stop to tell everyone about what we have been doing at hip.

We spent the spring taking advantage of the relaxed social distancing and mask rules and we participated in several events where we had the opportunity to great current and future consumers.

Twelve hip members joined the group at the Bassmaster’s Tournament where we enjoyed a beautiful day at Darlington Lake. Longtime hip member Bo-jean Heap received a trophy for catching the smallest fish and the award was much bigger than the fish. It was a fun event, and everyone agreed that it was good to get together in the fresh air.

The Home Humpday Happening gang gathered for a reunion dinner hosted by Trish Carney. After many months of Zoom contact, they were all happy to meet and share new ideas for new games and craft sessions in person.

hip staffers brought out the agency display for the Bergen County Caregiver Fair, the Hudson County Community Services Fair and the Senior Elder Abuse Prevention Walk. I even had the chance to participate on a panel for the Community Health Law Project where I saw many old friends and talked about Centers for Independent Living throughout the state.

Our latest agency initiative is the realization of a way to assist people with much needed medical equipment. We rented two storage units in Jersey City and Hackensack and are accepting donations and distributing gently used medical equipment for those who need it. And, as a first for our agency we purchased a van to collect and transport the equipment!

We will have more to tell you in the upcoming newsletter, so for now, enjoy the summer and watch for the calendar raffle on Wednesdays.

Brian

From the Desk of the President:

Usually, I write these pieces from my desk at the hip Hackensack offices but today I’m seated at the Rodda Center in Teaneck having just received my Pfizer booster shot. This was a slightly different experience than when I got the original vaccination. I was able to get an appointment easily, there were no lines and there were only about 15 people sitting with me in the recovery area. While I’m guessing that this is a tribute to the efficient scheduling of the Holy Name medical center staff, I am hoping that people aren’t reluctant to get this third shot. The scientific data supports this third dose because it will strengthen the vaccine’s power to protect us from the worst of COVID-19.

As part of the HHS Administration of Community Living (ACL) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC)’s partnership, hip staff in both offices are available to offer assistance with making appointments and can even arrange for transportation to a site. So, if you’re still undecided about getting the initial vaccines or aren’t sure where to go for the booster please call either office or contact us on this website and we’ll do our best to assist you.

Take care,

Brian