People With Disabilities Are Twice As Likely To Be Poor. These Businesses Are Fighting That Stat

The staggering unemployment and poverty rates among people with disabilities is a reminder of how much work still needs to be done to protect this underserved demographic. Sunday marks 25 years since Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act, a bill that aimed to give the group equal opportunities to pursue jobs and public and private services. While some vital progress has been made, people with disabilities still face incredible challenges when it comes to obtaining employment and becoming financially stable.     President George Bush signs the Americans with Disabilities Act during a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House July 26, 1990. Last year, 17.1 percent of people with disabilities were employed, according to the Bureau for Labor Statistics. The BLS only started tracking such stats in 2008. While the estimates aren't directly comparable, a report released by the Berkeley Journal of Employment & Labor Law argues that employment figures have actually declined since the passing of the ADA. In 1990, men with "work limitations" had an employment rate of 50.4 percent. Women who had similar restrictions had an employment rate of 40.7 percent at the time, the report noted.  Bottom line, people with disabilities are twice as likely to be poor today than people who don’t have disabilities, NPR reported. Part of the problem, experts say, is that the ADA didn’t push the hiring of people with disabilities. “It mandated ...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news