It Shouldn’t Be This Hard: Disability and Employment

 

February 12, 2019

Dear Friends,

It shouldn’t be this hard.

With unemployment at 4.1% across Pennsylvania, it should be possible for people with disabilities to find competitive integrated employment.

But according to the U.S. Department of Labor, only one-third of working age people with disabilities are employed.

It shouldn’t be this hard.

I don’t need federal statistics to know how hard it is to get a job, to keep a job, and to grow in a career as a person with a disability.

When I graduated from college it took me 15 months to find full-time employment.  It has now been 7 years since I have worked full-time and I still have trouble getting interviews.

It shouldn’t be this hard.

That’s why I made an investment to change the system and remove barriers to the full employment of persons with disabilities.

I joined the Board of Directors of Disability Rights Pennsylvania.  As a member, I help to set the direction of employment policy and program work of an organization that is committed to equality and inclusion.

With your help, DRP is changing the lives of people with disabilities across the state. In 2016, we assisted 32% of all Pennsylvanians with disabilities. Our advocacy and litigation impacted the lives of over 500,000 people. To cite just two examples:

• DRP assisted a person with disabilities request an accommodation so that she could park closer to her office and continue to work.
• DRP helped an individual with disabilities fight discriminatory hiring practices so she could successfully start a new job.

You can join me by donating to Disability Rights Pennsylvania today to ensure equality and inclusion in employment. .

Please visit our donations page to give. Any size contribution is welcomed.

Thank you for your continued support.

Because it shouldn’t be this hard.

 

Sincerely,

 

Glenn Coyle, Board Member

Langhorne, PA

 

P.S. When I am not working with Disability Rights Pennsylvania, I spend time at Villanova University.  I work with the standard patient program and I focus on teaching medical students on how to appropriately communicate with patients with disabilities.  If you know someone who could use employment support, send them to disabilityrightspa.org. There you can find employment self-help guides, referral information and an intake form to request legal or advocacy services. All our services are offered free of charge.