October is National Disability Employment Month. This awareness is near and dear to me for many reasons. Not only do I have a disability of my own but I also worked for many years with adults with developmental and physical disabilities get jobs. This year the #ndeam theme is “the right talent, right now.” Although, I think this theme is a bit ambiguous it’s important to not only talk about disability in the workplace, but how we can make change. I can’t stress enough how important state programs, non profits, talking about disability rights and being inclusive in the workplace is. In California we have amazing programs for adults like Department of Rehabilitation where they help disabled adults go back to school and even get jobs.
I’ve worked in programs for disability for many years and have witnessed the injustices and as someone with a disability have been discriminated against. We aren’t just the right talent, right now. We are more than that. But companies and managers need to be held accountable and go through training.
I’m tired of being last on the list. I know I’m the “right talent, right now!” My disability does not hold me back and I will not let a job believe that it does either. My other disabled warriors out there we have a lot to fight for still in and out of employment areas.
Amelia Blackwater 