Will Work, Need Jobs That Fit
Published July 02, 2009 @ 02:26PM PT
A recent NPR story recounts the quest of 55-year-old Michael Medina for a job. Medina had worked as janitor at Stacey's Bookstore in San Francisco until it went out of business in March. NPR makes it clear, the economic crisis affects both individuals with disabilities and those like job coaches who help them. Medina's job coach, Nina Asay, accompanies him on interviews, helps him learn what to do in a new job, and is here to "'help [him] out,'" as she herself says. But the San Francisco chapter of The Arc---the largest nonprofit helping individuals with developmental disabilities find general employment---is in danger of losing $3 million in state funding come September.
With all that said, NPR reports emphasizes that the greatest hurdle for individuals like Medina are people's attitudes.
......the biggest obstacle to placing people in jobs is negative stereotypes, says John Kemp of the U.S. Business Leadership Network, a national organization that assists with hiring and retaining employees with disabilities.
"The first response of the unenlightened employer is, 'No way. We have too many complex issues here, too many business processes that they will not be able to understand and execute,'" he says.
But Kemp says there are bright spots. Large national chains including Walgreens, McDonald's and Safeway continue to create opportunities for people with developmental disabilities.
And certainly more people seeing individuals with disabilities in jobs in the community is crucial to changing attitudes. To reiterate a question asked by Dora: Do we change people to fit jobs or find jobs to fit people? Can we change jobs and workplaces to fit people?
Can we craft locks and keyholes that will fit the keys, those who are ready to work like Michael Medina?
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Comments (3)
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Kristina is a Classics professor in Jersey City, New Jersey, a blogger (formerly at AutismVox), a translator (of Virgil), and an advocate every day for her son, Charlie.
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Great. He's 55, has a developmental disability, and lives in California. Three strikes and you're out.
"Large national chains including Walgreens, McDonald's and Safeway continue to create opportunities for people with developmental disabilities."
I once had an employee who has Down's who had worked at McDonald's for something like nine years before she came here. In all that time, they never even let her work the register, out front where customers might see her 'n' stuff.
Bear in mind this was in the fast food industry, where if you stay in one place for six months (and don't have a disability), you're automatically promoted to assistant manager. If these are the kinds of "opportunities" the large national chains are offering, we (like the rest of society) would be better off concentrating on locally-owned businesses.
Posted by Mark Romoser on 07/02/2009 @ 02:42PM PT
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Think I'm not gonna be heading out west just yet.....
Posted by Kristina Chew on 07/02/2009 @ 03:27PM PT
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We have similar hiring policies in Ireland but the employees with Downs and what appears to be differing mental disabilities are definitely front of house. The Avoca chain of cafes and shops for Ladies who lunch, and The Movies at Dundrum are two places I go regularly where such a policy is used. No, they do not work the tills. But they do deal directly with the public clearing tables and serving salads and cakes. And in the cinema they guys who tell me which screen is showing this weeks inexorable block buster often have special needs. This is the same cinema that lets us go and watch credits, or the last 15 minutes of said blockbuster for free, so perhaps the management is diversity aware, shall we say,,,,,
xx
Posted by lisadom dom on 07/02/2009 @ 03:37PM PT
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