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As NDEAM Begins, Gov. Sisolak Highlights the “Value and Talent People with Disabilities” Bring to Nevada’s Workforce

Carson City, NV, October 1 – Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak took the opportunity to publicly celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month this October and to “celebrate the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities.”

Gov. Sisolak also recommitted his state “to take steps throughout the year to recruit, hire, retain, and advance people with disabilities and work to pursue the goals of opportunity, full participation, economic self-sufficiency, and independent living for people with disabilities.”

This is an important public commitment for the more than 176,000 working-age people living with disabilities in the Silver State. In the economic expansion prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nevada had a 39.3 percent disability employment rate. By contrast, people without disabilities had an employment rate of 77.8 percent. That means that there is a 38.4 percentage point gap in labor force participation rates between people with and without disabilities.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), an annual celebration dedicated to raising awareness about disability employment issues and celebrating the incredible contributions of people with disabilities. The theme for NDEAM 2021 is “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion.” This theme reflects the importance of ensuring that people with disabilities have full access to employment and community involvement during the national recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“NDEAM’s theme calls attention to a key principle: Our nation was founded on the principle that anyone who works hard should be able to get ahead in life,” said Olegario “Ollie” Cantos VII, RespectAbility’s new Chairman. “People with disabilities deserve the opportunity to earn an income and achieve independence, just like anyone else. Celebrating NDEAM in Nevada is just the first step in getting more people with disabilities into the workforce so they can earn an income and be included in all aspects of society.”

The success or failure of getting more people with disabilities integrated into the workforce impacts thousands of communities and millions of families nationwide. According to the Census Bureau, there are more than 56 million Americans living with a disability. Disabilities include visible conditions such as spinal cord injuries, visual impairments or hearing loss and nonvisible disabilities such as learning disabilities, mental health or Autism.

Brand name companies such as JP Morgan Chase, Coca-Cola, Ernst & Young, IBM, Walgreens, Starbucks, CVS and Microsoft know that workers with disabilities improve the bottom line and add value to the workforce. “People with disabilities bring unique characteristics and talents to the workplace,” added RespectAbility President Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi. “There are no limits to what we can do when given the chance.”

Find more information about NDEAM, including proclamations from other Governors and upcoming events, at RespectAbility’s NDEAM website.

Meet the Author

Roy Payan

Roy Payan graduated from Cal State Los Angeles with a double major in Rehabilitation Services. He is currently working on his Masters in Public Policy for Nonprofits at the University of Southern California (USC).

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