Author: jeseniass

Awakening the Disability Workforce

Awakening the Disability Workforce

By Jesse Schwartzman

This National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Celebrate how far we have come! The Disability Employment rate has never been higher! The labor participation rate for people with disabilities in 2018 was 37.8 percent; in 2024, it is now 40.0. Tremendous strides have been made! It is also important to acknowledge that more can be done and how we get there.

How do we get there? Two things need to happen, Everyone needs to support each other and know that getting a job could take some time, especially a job with health care and a living wage. I enjoy what I do and most importantly I enjoy helping people. It makes me happy. My happiest moment last year was hearing that a former client heard back from her dream job and received a job offer. She has been working there ever since. I have yet to help anyone land their dream job this year, but the year is still not over. My inspiration for this opinion article is to inspire business owners, human resource officers, and the public at large to hire more people with disabilities. People with disabilities, stay at jobs longer and are great workers. If they need an accommodation it will not cost much money the average accommodation is $300. I would also like to say that if you are a person with a disability you should advocate for yourself. It is also important to advocate for others because there is strength in numbers. Every human rights moment was moved forward with a large number of people and yes disability rights are human rights.

This passion for helping people with disabilities is very personal to me. I came out of college with an internship at a Senator’s office, multiple student leadership and work experiences as well as nearly graduating with honors. I thought I would have multiple full-time offers coming out of college boy was I wrong? I would have an easy time getting an interview based on my resume but when it came to going on the interview I would be so self-conscious as a person who stutters and born with missing fingers on my right arm. I would not get hired because I did not show that I could do the job and I do not bring the confidence or passion either. Through hard work, going back to school, and networking I finally got a full-time job three and a half years after I graduated college. I did not get a permanent full-time job in health care for 12 years after I graduated college. I never gave up but it took time. I saved up money to get driving lessons, and then a car so I could drive myself to speech therapy. I continued and to this current day continue to work on myself. Working gave me the ability to do these things and more. Work gives me purpose and the ability to better myself and maybe one day start my own family. I want every person in the disability community to be able to work if they want to work.

I call on leaders in the disability field, elected leaders, people with disabilities, and the general public to not accept the status quo on disability employment. We need more mentors, more willingness to move forward on ideas, and most importantly more opportunities in society. The time is now to not just say these things but to truly implement them in real time. If you would like to join me and help advocate for more employment opportunities for the disability community here’s my email jesseschwartzman00@gmail.com I await your message.

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Jesse Schwartzman is a disability advocate who has worked in the legal, political, and advocacy fields. He currently works as an outreach and advocacy worker in the disability field. Jesse enjoys helping people and watching sports and movies. He can be reached at jesseschwartzman00@gmail.com.

October 31, 2024
Supporting the Disability Workforce

By Jesse Schwartzman

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.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month Download

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October 12, 2022