From Bradley R. Stover, Esquire:
Dear Editor:
As an attorney and partner at Shaffer, McLauchlin & Stover, LLC, I understand how critical creating connections within the business community is to success. My career has centered around building partnerships, and as president of The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region’s (The Arc NCR) Governance Board, I now have the unique opportunity to educate the business community about diversifying their workforce with employees who have a differing ability (an intellectual or developmental disability).
I challenge the professional community to have a conversation with their local chapter of The Arc and learn about offering equal employment opportunities to persons of ALL abilities at their company. October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), a celebration of the contributions of workers with differing abilities. NDEAM also educates the business community about the value of a workforce inclusive of the skills and talents of those with differing abilities.
The Arc NCR works to place individuals in careers matching their skillset, provides job training and follow-along supports, and works with businesses to ensure both the business and employees thrive. The organization has placed hard workers across a variety of industries – even a Maryland Senator’s office in Annapolis. The Arc NCR’s longest-employed individual, Jack, has worked faithfully at the Harford County Sheriff’s Office for more than 28 years.
To learn how your company can create a more inclusive work culture, call The Arc NCR’s employment services department at 410-836-7177 or visit arcncr.org.
Respectfully,
Bradley R. Stover, Esquire
I love this – however as a mother of a disabled adult, my son was able to get great help with job training and skill training while still in high school and for a year or two beyond. However, once hired, some companies do NOT assist with the person adjusting to the position, nor do some of them allow a job coach (one that they, the hiring company, does not have to pay for). Wal-Mart for instance is one. A contractor on APG is another. This is frustrating to say the least; we want our kids to be productive, self-supportive and not be reliant upon the system, yet in this day and age, the struggle continues within society to achieve this.