[AMP-L] New employment legislation

[info at czbiomed.md]

Some of you may already be aware of this proposed legislation, which was
introduced in late July.  When I worked in the Disability Centre at the
University of B.C.,   discussion of disclosure of disability was frequently
debated.  Hopefully legislation like this will encourage more employers to
look at the skills an individual brings to the work place.  This was posted
on Senator Roberts' web page and I am sure that you can follow it's
progress through the house, on the site.
Ruth

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Senators Roberts and Kennedy Introduce Bi-Partisan Legislation To Create
More Jobs for People with Severe Disabilities
WASHINGTON, DC– To mark the 15th anniversary of the Americans with
Disabilities Act, U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) and U.S. Senator Edward
Kennedy (D-MA) recently unveiled bi-partisan legislation aimed at reducing
the high unemployment rate for people with severe disabilities. 
“Severely disabled people across this country want and need the opportunity
to earn an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work,” said Senator
Roberts. “Yet despite the tremendous progress disabled people have made in
the last fifteen years, nearly 78 percent of all severely disabled people
in the U.S. today are unemployed.” 

“Government and the private sector must work together to provide all
Americans with the opportunity to achieve personal and economic
self-sufficiency. Individuals with disabilities deserve the dignity and
satisfaction that comes from earning a living wage,” said Senator Kennedy.
“This legislation encourages companies that do business with the federal
government to truly open their doors and employ these individuals.” 

The “Employer Work Incentive Act for Individuals with Severe Disabilities”,
S. 1570, will offer eligible businesses that competitively employ people
with severe disabilities the opportunity to participate in the performance
of federal contracts and receive a procurement advantage. 

More than 9.4 million Americans have a physical or mental impairment that
substantially limits their life activities (e.g., mobility, communication,
self-care, self-direction, work tolerance or work skills). The legislation
will expand competitive employment opportunities for those individuals by
offering businesses an incentive to employ severely disabled individuals
and offer them a both competitive salary and good health care benefits. 

“Senator Kennedy and I introduced this legislation because we are deeply
committed to doing what we can to help severely disabled Americans seek and
maintain employment.” said Senator Roberts. “We encourage the business
community to continue their efforts and actively work to employ individuals
with severe disabilities.” 

In addition to providing greater employment opportunities to the severely
disabled, the legislation will also save taxpayer dollars. If just
94,000—or one percent—of severely disabled people now receiving federal
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income
(SSI) payments and related health benefits were to become gainfully and
competitively employed, the projected ten-year cost savings to the federal
treasury would be more than $45 billion. Senator Roberts is a senior member
of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.