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NGA Chair Governor Jack Markell (DE) Releases Blueprint on the Employment of People with Disabilities

AAPD calls on Governors to utilize new recommendations

August 2, 2013 | AAPD Press Team

Milwaukee, Wisconsin (August 2, 2013) – Today, the National Governors Association (NGA) released a Blueprint on the Employment of People with Disabilities. The findings represent the culmination of NGA Chair Governor Jack Markell’s year-long effort to determine workable strategies to increase the employment of Americans with disabilities.

Governor Markell, along with many of his counterparts, developed the Blueprint after spending the previous 12 months listening to the views of disability rights advocates, policy makers, and employers.

Also today, the Department of Labor released monthly jobs numbers for Americans with disabilities. The current unemployment rate for people with disabilities rose from 13.6% in July 2012 to 14.7% in July of 2013. Additionally, only 20.3% of people with disabilities are employed or seeking employment compared to 69.7% of people without disabilities.

“Based on today’s unemployment numbers from the Department of Labor, Americans with disabilities are not yet benefiting from the economic recovery,” stated Mark Perriello, President & CEO of AAPD, the largest disability rights organization in the country. “Governors must take their own recommendations to heart and implement the ideas and strategies outlined in the NGA Blueprint in order to turn the tide on the dire unemployment rate for people with disabilities.”

The NGA Blueprint offers practical advice on engaging people with disabilities in the workforce. It provides insight for both private and public sector employers about recruiting and retaining people with disabilities and the benefits to a company’s bottom line.

One year ago, the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) awarded Governor Jack Markell with the Justice For All (JFA) Award in recognition of his leadership on employment for people with disabilities. His efforts as Governor and as NGA chair have helped educate and support lawmakers, employers, and job seekers to bring more Americans with disabilities into the economic mainstream.

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The American Association of People with Disabilities is the nation's largest disability rights organization. We promote equal opportunity, economic power, independent living, and political participation for people with disabilities. Our members, including people with disabilities and our family, friends, and supporters, represent a powerful force for change. To learn more, visit the AAPD Web site: www.aapd.com.