Power Grid Blog
Employment, Health, & Veterans
May 7, 2012 | Jennah Bedrosian
With the unemployment rate hovering around 8.5 percent, Americans are more aware than ever that the need for good quality jobs is one of the most pressing issues of our time. The job outlook is even bleaker when considering employment opportunities for the disability community. Recently, Bill Lawson, National President of Paralyzed Veterans of America, described some of the ways returning veterans are facing negative stigma in the work place. In his piece, Fear Itself an Unnecessary Barrier to Hiring Vets with Disabilities, Lawson says that many employers are scared that hiring people with disabilities might be too expensive or that the quality of work might suffer, but many veterans already have a unique set of skills and talents that set them apart from other candidates. Veterans have proven they have the critical thinking skills, determination, and drive to perform any task; even in adverse situations and sometimes accommodating a person with a disability is as simple as moving a few chairs. Lawson states, “We are veterans of the best military force in the world. We possess world-class skills. We are great team players. We are loyal. We are decisive, committed, and enthusiastic.”
At the same time, strides have been made integrating disabled veterans into the community by training service dogs to combat the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many veterans return home needing treatment and support for the after-effects of combat-related trauma. Christine Hill, of the Wounded Warrior Project, describes how the U.S Department of Veteran Affairs has tested the use of specially trained service canines to help vets manage the scars of war. Like guide dogs, psychiatric service dogs assist their owners in day to day tasks. Psychiatric dogs can even be trained to be more attuned to their handlers’ stress level, wake them up during bad dreams, and simply help calm them during rough episodes. With the help of a service dog, many vets have even been successful in cutting back prescription medications; which can be expensive and have side effects of their own.
One sixth of Americans has a disability. By removing barriers to opportunity and increasing access to resources, the disability community can be a leading voice of positive change. Access to employment opportunity and health care are the foundations of this change.
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Submitted by manojpatel at 12:58 AM on July 20, 2013