Meet Disruptive Woman to Watch: Kathy Martinez

In 2015, Americans celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  But just as it is important to recognize that, for a quarter century, the law of the land has protected individuals with disability from discriminating, it is equally critical to acknowledge that there remains a significant employment gap in our society.  Americans with disabilities are far less likely to be gainfully employed and far more likely to be reliant upon public assistance programs. There is no greater champion in trying to change this paradigm than Kathy Martinez, a Disruptive Woman to Watch for 2016.  Until February of 2015, Ms. Martinez was an Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Labor, in charge of disability employment policies.  She has now moved into the private sector as an executive with the Wells Fargo financial services corporation, expanding the company’s capabilities and programs dedicated to serving its customers with disabilities. Bringing her talents and energies to the private sector makes sense for a leader like Martinez, who has been a powerful advocate for transitioning Americans with disabilities into employment opportunities.  As she has often pointed out, only about 20 percent of people with disabilities are employed, compared to 69 percent of able-bodied individuals.   In an interview with the Boston Globe, she said, “If we don’t have money to spend, if we’re not employed, we’ll still be marginalized.  So employment, re...
Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Advocacy Champions Disabilities Source Type: blogs