Passed in 1990, the Americans With Disabilities Act was wide-ranging legislation to break down barriers to employment, transportation, public accommodations, public services and telecommunications for people with physical and mental disabilities.
Physical evidence from this legislation is easy to spot - ramps into public buildings, wheelchair lifts on buses and closed-captioning on television. These improvements have made it possible for many of the 54 million to 58 million Americans with disabilities to fully participate in society and lead better lives.
"All of us have more contact with people with disabilities now, and, as a result of this civil rights movement, people with disabilities have a greater sense of pride that comes with legislation that says it's not the person but the environment that needs to be fixed," said Shelley Kaplan, project director for the Southeast Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center in Atlanta.
While the disabled have greater access to the goods and services that are part of the American dream, about 75 percent remain unemployed or underemployed.
"There's a great difference be-tween managing and valuing
diversity. The latter is a work
in progress, and to see the
face of employment slowly
changing is really exciting," said Pam Williamson,
assistant project director of
the Southeast Disability and
Business Technical Assistance
Center.
The federal government
set the tone in 2001 with its
Freedom Initiative to hire
and promote more people
with disabilities. Public and
private agencies, nonprofit
organizations and businesses
are collaborating to slowly
open doors, and new workers,
like Melody Watts and
Kyle Neely, are coming in.
Watts is one of about 600 clients of Briggs & Associates, a company that finds employment for people with mental retardation, autism, mental illness or physicaldisabilities. With federal and other funding, Briggs & Associates locates the right match and provides "supported employment" services to make it work.
"We see miracles happen here every day, and Melody was one of those," said Kim Bee, regional director of the Metro Atlanta Region of Briggs & Associates.
The 35-year-old woman
went to a mental retardation
service center before finding
a job at Capitol City Bank &
Trust Co. The bank needed
someone to do filing and
other clerical duties, but
managers were skeptical of
Watts, who had limited reading
and cognitive skills.
Briggs & Associates job coach Cynthia Terry trained her to match letters of the alphabet and learn alphabetical order. She's now learning with the help of a phonics program.
"Now that she's comfortable with the job, I check in about once a week, just to see how it's going," Terry said.
Watts works four hours a day, three days a week, and commutes to work via a special county shuttle bus.
"This is my first job," Watts said with a smile. "It was a little hard, but Cynthia showed me how to file and fold the statements to mail out. This is a good place, and I'll do anything to keep this job. I just do my work and stay out of trouble."
"We all love her here,"said Eyvonne Malcolm, an employee who supervises her work. "She says 'good morning' to everyone individually and often has compliments for us. At first she was timid and quiet, but the other day she was singing to the radio."
Watts enjoys shopping with the money she has earned and attending company outings.
"We went to a spa and out to lunch one Saturday. We always include her in our activities because she's a part of us," Malcolm said. "It's rewarding working with Melody. She makes my day."
Watts has blossomed through her contact with co-workers and pride in her job.
"When you find the right match, I've seen people move from part time to full time with benefits, get off Social Security and become homeowners," Bee said. "They are not 'disabled' anymore, and it's wonderful."
Finding employers who are willing to think outside the box is a challenge, but agencies like Cobb Works are finding new ways to ask.
"We used to ask if they would give this person a chance," said Kate Brady, project coordinator for CobbWorks/ Project Exceed. "Now we ask what they need, and could this person meet that need, and how? We're offering a mutually beneficial arrangement."
CobbWorks is a one-stop center funded by the Workforce Investment Act that provides job search, development and training services. Through a Department of Labor grant, Project Exceed helps people with disabilities or substance abuse problems take advantage of customized employment services.
"The primary goal is to connect clients with jobs that meet their strengths and interests and allow for advancement, so that they can come out of poverty," Brady said.
Working with the Cobb Micro- Enterprise Center and other community organizations, Brady has seen mentally challenged individuals start their own businesses, partner with employers or become employees through resource ownership.
With help from a government grant, Kyle Neely, who is mentally-challenged, was able to purchase a $1,700 steamcleaner machine and get a part-time job at Top 2 Bottom Hand Car Wash in Marietta. Neeley can take his machine with him or sell it if he changes jobs, and the car wash owner can use it when he's not there.
"I advertised the job, and Nicole Bass answered the ad for Kyle," owner Carleton Alexander said. "It's working out fine. He's comfortable here. The machine helps my new business, and Nicole trains him."
Neely washes and helps detail cars, and he cleans the waiting room.
"I'm here some days, and the workers help him when I'm not," said Bass, an employment specialist with the Cobb/Douglas Community Services Board. "He's doing an excellent job."
The job is a good fit because Neely gets to be around other people and work at his own pace. He also gets to talk about his favorite subject: sports.
"Kyle knows everybody and he keeps the conversations going around here," Alexander said.
"I like it here, and my buddies are nice. We talk about wrestling and football and basketball and swimming. I love to swim," said Neely. "I love my job and I get paid."
Working with Project Exceed has reminded Brady that workers do better in jobs they enjoy, with co-workers who share their interests. Employers have been positive about the program,which has opened doors for people who previously had been labeled "unemployable."
"Surprisingly, it doesn't cost as much as we thought it would. We initially started with $15,000 grants, but we've found that people can form business partnerships, have resource ownership, even startup small businesses for under $5,000," Brady said.
"Education is critical. Unless people with disabilities and employers can get accurate information, we're not going to change the workplace," Kaplan said.
"I wish more people would recognize the talents that people with disabilities bring to the workplace and that accommodating them doesn't have to cost a whole lot of money."