[Electronics-talk] Good News!

[cheez]

I don't know if this is off topic, but, I know someone that worked at the 
Wall Green's distribution center in Flagstaff Arizona, and I don't mean to 
be a negative Nancy, but according to her much pressure is put on 
performance.  And, if the production that's expected isn't met, then 
dismissal can occur.  And let me point out an important word.  The word is, 
Disabled.  And I'm sure you all know that doesn't include the Blind.  In 
fact, the person I know was the only partial-sighted employee.  The rest had 
good vision and were wheelchair bound, hearing-impaired, epileptic.  so 
don't get too excited.  We still have a ways to go.
Vince

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Star Song" <starsong at gmx.com>
To: <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, August 06, 2013 5:54 PM
Subject: [Electronics-talk] Good News!


In today's Christian Science Monitor:

Bottom line, disabled people might be better employees






By the Monitor's Editorial Board / August 6, 2013

Few people noticed, but last week marked the 23rd anniversary of
the 1990 passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. That
landmark law is best known for mandating such conveniences as
designated parking for people with disabilities, wheelchair
ramps, and Braille on elevators. A whole generation has now
benefited from it. But one thing has not changed very much for
Americaâ?Ts 54 million disabled people: landing a job.

That may change with a report last week by the National Governors
Association. It is called â?oA Better Bottom Line: Employing
People with Disabilities.â? Note the words â?obottom lineâ? The
report aims to help states support a trend in American business
led by Walgreens. Since 2007, the drugstore chain has hired those
with disabilities not out of magnanimous charity but for the
competitive advantage in employing disabled workers.

Studies of Walgreensâ?Ts experience at a few distribution centers
show disabled workers are more efficient and loyal than
nondisabled workers. Absenteeism has gone down, turnover is less,
and safety statistics are up. And the cost of accommodating such
workers with new technologies and education is minimal.

More than 100 executives of major companies have toured Walgreens
distribution centers where at least a third of workers are
physically or mentally disabled. And last year, the US Chamber of
Commerce committed to increasing the employment of people with
disabilities by 1 million by 2015.

â?oWalgreens has shown that people with these disabilities can
work alongside people without disabilities,â? says Sen. Tom
Harkin (D) of Iowa. â?oYou canâ?Tt tell who is who and which is
which.â?

This isnâ?Tt just a business trend but a societal change in
attitude. Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, the recent head of the
governors association and the leader behind the report, says
employers must focus on a personâ?Ts ability rather than
disability â?" or even on how a disability enhances a personâ?Ts
employability. Many disabled workers are so grateful for a job
that they work harder. Some industries, such as software and data
testing, prefer workers with certain disabilities, such as
autism, because of a personâ?Ts intense focus on detail.

Still, business needs a partner in government to make this shift.
The report cites successes in several states in linking up
disabled people with employers and tracking the benefits of
hiring such workers. Teens who are disabled need help, beginning
in middle school, to assess their skills and the industries that
need them. The report advises states to approach businesses with
a proposition on the value that disabled workers bring to
shareholders, not with â?oan appeal to their corporate
responsibility.â?

â?oBusinesses tell states that they do not want to hire a
candidate to meet a stateâ?Ts need,â? according to the report.
â?oThey want to hire a candidate that meets the business needs.â?

Walgreens now plans to have at least a quarter of its workforce
consist of people with disabilities. Other companies are
following in its path. They have plenty of people to pick from.
Only 1 of 3 disabled adults is employed. Finding them is half the
battle. State governments are best equipped to help in such
recruitment.

The incentive for government to encourage this trend is strong.
More than a third of people on income-based assistance are
disabled. Studies show employing them raises tax revenue and
reduces entitlement spending.

But more than money is at stake. Disabled people simply want to
be treated for the best they can offer â?" which might just be
better than what a potential employer presumes.




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