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Gov. Burgum: North Dakota is Committed To “Opportunity in the Workplace for Individuals with Disabilities”

Bismarck, ND, October 25 – “North Dakota leads the nation in the employment of people with disabilities,” said North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum in a proclamation marking October as Disability Employment Awareness Month.

Citing pre-pandemic statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, Gov. Burgum emphasized that “workplaces that welcome the talents of all people, including people with disabilities, are a critical part of efforts to build an inclusive community and strong economy.” Gov. Burgum’s statement also highlighted the critical work of the U.S. Department of Labor, the North Dakota Department of Human Services, and North Dakota’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to align programs that “support employment of people with disabilities.”

These are important public commitments for the more than 41,000 working-age people living with disabilities in North Dakota. In the economic expansion prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Peace Garden State had a 57.2 percent disability employment rate. By contrast, people without disabilities had an employment rate of 85.9 percent. That means that there is a 28.6 percentage point gap in labor force participation rates between people with and without disabilities. It is worth noting that before COVID, this was the second smallest gap in the whole country, eclipsed only by Wyoming.

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 North Dakota 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

Tammie Stevens

Tammie Stevens worked for eight years at a nonprofit organization that provided instruction to those who were newly experiencing blindness. She hopes to normalize and remove the mystery of disabilities in the workplace.

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