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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

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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

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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

 

🔊 Play During these past 16 months of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic we have become very conscious of milestones and anniversaries. The country is currently inching toward the 70% mark for vaccinations by making them available at many convenient locations. The hip staff continues to help consumers make informed decisions about the vaccine and collaborating with our state and county partners.

July 13 marks the first anniversary of our partial return to the office. We worked remotely from the beginning of the shutdown but as restrictions began to be lifted, we had the office deep cleaned, sanitized and outfitted with plexiglass shields to maintain appropriate social distancing. All of us are well equipped with PPE and various cleaning supplies for our individual use. We have developed a schedule where we split the staff into two shifts working two days in the office and two days remotely with Friday as a clean-up and meeting day. We are still not seeing people in the office or making home visits, but we are doing our best to stay in contact with all of the consumers. We have established dedicated hot lines in both offices. Our current plan is to continue with our split sessions until the end of August and gradually increase office time through September with a full opening October 1.

I cannot discuss dates without commemorating the 31st Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26. We have come a long way by promoting universal design, enhancing equity in public education and continuing our advocacy for equality in all areas of the American experience.

For the future we need to remain aware of the importance of this legislation and to be sure that its intent remains prominent in the conversations on inclusion, equal rights and diversity.

Sincerely,

Brian

 

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Lining up.

As I was waiting in line for my COVID vaccine I started to recall the many times I have been involved in what they are calling mass immunizations. As a first grader we were all herded to the school nurse’s office where the challenge was not to cry at the sight of what seemed to be a very big scary needle for the Salk Polio vaccine. Things got a little bit easier when the Sabin vaccine came along. We received that one on a sugar cube on a Sunday in our Church hall. In 1976 when flu shots came into prominence, I recall gathering in the Hackensack High School gym to roll up our sleeves and start what would become an annual event for many people but later done individually at the Doctor’s office or a Pharmacy.

So, here we are on the anniversary of the shutdown on a different kind of line called online, struggling to navigate websites, seeking out vaccine leftovers at the Shop-Rite and happily responding to the text that tells you it is your turn.

As I look back on the year, I am proud of the work of the hip staffers who arranged food deliveries, distributed PPEs, and supermarket gift cards, purchased I-pads, Chrome books and microwaves, helped with rental assistance and utility bills all while continuing to serve our consumers in our traditional programs. Our work is still done remotely but we are looking forward to safely meeting in person when everyone is vaccinated.

We are in the final six months of our CARES Act funding and we still have the ability to provide services to remediate difficulties that arose due to the pandemic. Please contact us so we can see how we can help.

Enjoy all the new beginnings that come with Spring. Stay safe and be well.

Brian