October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, a time to recognize the vital contributions people with disabilities make to our workforce. That’s why the recent federal cuts to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services and the Office of Special Education Programs are especially troubling and ill-timed. These offices play a critical role in helping students with disabilities transition successfully from school to employment. Gutting them undermines decades of progress toward employment equity.
Despite the progress, the employment gap for people with disabilities remains too wide. Sixty-five percent of adults without disabilities are employed, compared to just 23% of those with disabilities, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. For people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the number drops to only 17% holding paid community jobs, while nearly half of those not working say they want to. This is not because people with disabilities can’t work, but because systems designed to help them prepare for and access employment are underfunded and understaffed.
Programs like supported employment, which match individuals with real jobs and provide on-site coaching and long-term supports, are effective. These models open doors to economic independence, stronger support networks and a better quality of life. Community-based organizations see every day how transformative the right supports can be in helping people explore careers and gain real-world experience. Employers consistently report that workers with disabilities are among their most loyal, dedicated and dependable employees. When federal programs are slashed, we lose the infrastructure that ensures every student has a transition plan and programs can keep growing to meet demand.
This upward trend is a reality in our city and state. The number of Chicago Public Schools students who have individualized education plans is increasing and is now at 16%. With the dire need for infrastructure, these federal cuts send the wrong message when every person, regardless of disability, deserves a fair chance at meaningful work.
As we close out National Disability Employment Awareness Month, remember that inclusion doesn’t happen by accident; it happens because we invest in it. We must urge policymakers to restore and strengthen these critical programs and expect employers to hire people with disabilities in meaningful ways.
Erin Ryan, chief executive officer, Shore Community Services Inc., Skokie
The horror is real this Halloween
Halloween is supposed to be a ghoulish escape from reality, a frightful detour into the world of ghosts and monsters. It’s a chance to dress up in goofy costumes and be who or whatever you want to be. We’ll still be out there handing out candy on our Logan Square block, but now with a wary eye toward the street, or what may be around the corner. What Donald Trump and his masked goons have done this Halloween is show us who the real monsters are. I would give anything to shield our kids from that reality.
Daniel Higgins, Logan Square