There's too little to celebrate on ADA’s 25 anniversary

This month marks the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Yet Arizonans with disabilities have little to celebrate as only three out of 10 of Arizona’s 365,000 working-age people with disabilities are employed. Most people with disabilities want jobs and independence, just like anyone else.

One in five Americans have a disability and a recent Kessler Foundation survey shows they are largely striving to work. While persistent stigmas remain an obstacle, the evidence shows that people with disabilities can be highly successful workers.

For example, Virgin Airways founder Richard Branson and finance wizard Charles Schwab are dyslexic. Scientist Stephen Hawking, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas and President Franklin D. Roosevelt before them are wheelchair users.

In Arizona, 23,500 youth with disabilities between the ages of 16 and 20 are preparing to enter the labor market. They have high expectations and deserve the opportunity to achieve the American dream. Young people with disabilities may simply need thoughtful help to transition into the workforce.

People who are blind, deaf or non-verbal frequently use assistive technology. Similarly, people with intellectual disabilities can benefit greatly from internship opportunities and job coaches.

Comcast, Ernst & Young, Lockheed Martin, Sprint and other companies have seen that people with disabilities can be extremely capable and loyal workers. While there are few Stephen Hawkings, with or without disabilities, people with disabilities can work in restaurants, tend our parks, assist aging seniors and be super talents in developing computer software.

The U.S. Business Leadership Network, a group of companies that focus on building their bottom line through diverse talent, can be a real resource to the private sector. Federal contractors are also vital because of new regulations requiring that they be inclusive employers of people with disabilities. This new Section 503 rule creates a 7 percent hiring goal for people with disabilities in all job categories.

Vocational rehabilitation programs in Arizona helped 1,900 people with disabilities find work in 2012. But the state has failed to properly address the growing inequality between people with disabilities and those without disabilities or do anything of substance to reduce the growing gap. According to the most recent statistics, the employment gap increased by 0.9 percentage points.

Under the new Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act, Gov. Doug Ducey can break down the waste and silos between the branches of government so education, transportation, workforce development, health care and other departments work together with employers to create strategies to enable people with barriers to obtain jobs and careers.

One of their first steps can be to stop funding failing programs and instead fund programs that are proven to succeed. Public-private-philanthropic partnerships, along with programs such as Project SEARCH and Bridges to Work, can bring breakthroughs and success.

As a person with a disability, I know the dignity, friendships, income and purpose that jobs provide. Employment first policies are a good starting point, but further progress is necessary. When people with disabilities can climb the career ladder it is win-win-win for people with disabilities, employers and taxpayers alike.

Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi is resident of RespectAbilityUSA.org, a non-profit based in Bethesda, Md., working to enable people with disabilities to achieve the American dream.