As the leaves put on a daring display, we are reminded of the innovative spirit built into every cell of nature including ourselves. Innovation is at the forefront of October’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), which celebrates the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities past and present and showcases supportive, inclusive employment policies and practices. This year’s NDEAM theme is “Disability: Part of the Equity Equation” echoing the spirit of the Americans who raised their voices in order to be heard and achieve advancements in equitable treatment…
The Front Page Blog: Blogs on Employment
Since 1945, Congress has sought to educate the public about the role of people with disabilities in the labor force. Originally known as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week,” Congress broadened its celebration and instituted “National Disability Employment Awareness Month” (NDEAM) as an annual October celebration in 1988. This celebration coincides with Mental Illness Awareness Week, recognized by Congress since 1990 to educate the public about mental illness. The overlap between these two observances is particularly relevant in light of the continuing COVID-19 crisis and the…
In 2020, the onset of the COVID-19 virus accelerated a move to a remote and digitally dependent workforce. Many companies were able to accommodate employees working from home by providing a few technological changes and additional equipment to enable workers to maintain communication with their colleagues, supervisors, and clients. Some even found that productivity increased for employees working from home. The success of this remote workforce revealed a side benefit for people with disabilities.
People with disabilities are often overlooked by organizations because of the…
On Wednesday, October 28th, New Editions supported the Administration for Community Living (ACL) National Disability Employment Awareness Month Virtual Event (NDEAM) through our Management Support contract with the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). The theme of the event was “Employment Innovation: Improving Work for People with Disabilities” and the agenda highlighted the past, present and future of research to advance employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The…
Seventy-five years ago, in response to the large number of service members with disabilities returning home from World War II, Congress passed a law establishing the first week in October of each year as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” Over the years, this week-long national observance has undergone several changes in name, focus and duration: In 1962, the name was changed to “National Employ the Handicapped Week” to embrace the entire disability community. And then in 1988, the week-long national observance became the month-long event that we know and celebrate today…
“Let the shameful walls of exclusion finally come tumbling down” is the directive that former President George Bush gave us when he signed the ADA into law 30 years ago, on July 26, 1990.
I graduated from the University of Maryland in 2008, and I can still recall the excitement of that day with such clarity. I remember the nervous anticipation I felt sitting in that huge auditorium with my family and friends in front of me; how surreal it felt to stand beside my fellow graduates as we took our place in the procession line; and the thrill of finally hearing my name being called. I…
National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), which lasts the month of October, will celebrate the contributions of workers with disabilities and inform employers about the value of including employees with disabilities.
New Editions Consulting celebrates inclusivity and accessibility all year long. For example, our efforts on Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (requiring that all government digital content —apps, web pages, and electronic documents — be accessible to people with disabilities) includes working on government contracts to ensure that federal…
March 8 is International Women’s Day. The theme of this year’s campaign is #PressforProgress, a call-to-action to press forward and make progress toward gender parity by uniting together in our communities, schools, legislatures, and workplaces to support a gender-inclusive environment. As a woman-owned and women-led company, New Editions celebrates the advancement and achievements of women in our office and around the world. Our leadership believes we can create a better society where everyone benefits, regardless of race, religion, age, culture, or disability and that those benefits…
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). NDEAM celebrates the contributions of workers with disabilities and educates about the value of a workforce inclusive of their skills and talents.This year's NDEAM theme "Inclusion Drives Innovation" reflects the important role that different perspectives play in workforce success.
Individuals find meaning, identity, and community through their work. Work also brings freedom and independence through financial security. Nationally, people with disabilities have higher unemployment (the percentage…
New Editions has long been known as a company that embraces diversity and proactively recruits, hires, and advances individuals with disabilities. New Editions is the only small business to receive the 2016 National Organization on Disability’s Leading Disability Employer SealTM for its inclusive hiring practices.
A portion of our disability related work includes helping Federal agencies create inclusive work environments and developing programs and services that support people with disabilities in the workplace. We develop accessible websites for our clients to ensure…
Another anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is here and I find myself once again taking stock of the progress we are making to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities. We are moving forward – even if slower than many of us would like. I recently read an article that patently rejected the value and need for the ADA, highlighting exactly how far behind some people are in their thinking. While the article angered me, it also reminded me that there is still much work to be done.
I am proud to work at New Editions Consulting,…
March 22nd marks the annual American Diabetes Association Diabetes Alert day, an event that serves as “a wake-up call asking Americans to take the Type 2 Diabetes Risk Test to find out if they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.” The importance of early diagnosis and proper management is crucial to positive outcomes among the diabetic population, as the progression of the disease can lead to serious disability if not treated properly.
It is estimated that one in every four people with diabetes is unaware that they have the disease. When left untreated, complications can…
Community bakeries and cafes are popular places to gather with friends and neighbors, celebrate a team victory or cheer up when you are feeling a little low. Running these cafes can be difficult but rewarding work, especially when staff members see and hear the positive feedback from their customers. There are two establishments in the Washington, DC suburbs that offer more than something for your sweet tooth or a quick caffeine fix. They are dedicated to training and employing people with disabilities.
In Fairfax, Virginia, Cameron’s Coffee & Chocolates provides an array…
Since my days as a rehabilitation counselor three decades ago, I have worked toward a goal of including people with disabilities into our society—no matter the job that I held. When I became an employer twelve years ago, I sought and hired people with disabilities. New Editions seeks contracts that focus on historically marginalized populations, trying to create a better society where everyone benefits, regardless of race, religion, age, culture or disability. About five years ago, we won a contract with U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Center of Excellence on…
Attend any awards ceremony and right after the person being honored thanks his or her parents, that person then thanks the people who have provided support, guidance, opportunities—that person’s mentors. Imagine for just a minute that the person in the audience being thanked is you. Mentoring can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your career. Helping others is rejuvenating and for those of us who strive to have meaning in our lives, we find mentoring makes us feel useful and happier. It’s even helped me find more creative solutions to my work problems as I…
Most of us who work in the disability field or have a friend or family member with a disability who is seeking employment, are aware of the difficulties that people with disabilities have in getting a job. Let’s take a look at the stats.
The unemployment rate of people with disabilities in the U.S. has decreased slightly since the Great Recession – moving from a little under 12% in May 2009 to 11.2% in May 2015. That may sound like good news, and it is. But, it’s not great news. That May 2015 rate is still over twice as high as the average unemployment rate of those without…
I was optimistic about the direction the field of disability was taking when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) passed. I had spent a year arguing with my brother-in-law who belonged to an organization that was actively lobbying against the ADA. He was convinced that the ADA would be the death of the small business that employed him. Our arguments were heated and often led to me saying things such as, “We’re all only temporarily able-bodied. You should be helping to create an environment you’d want to live in if you became disabled.” I felt I had won that argument when the ADA…
July 2015 is bookended by two celebrations of independence in America – the Fourth of July holiday and the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). At New Editions we consult on disability research and policy, we actively recruit and hire individuals with disabilities, and we promote diversity, so issues of civil rights, equal opportunity and freedom of choice are always on our minds. To observe the ADA anniversary, a group of New Editions employees reflected on the impact of the ADA in their lives.
Overall, there was a strong sense that the ADA has been…
A recent Washington Post article by Richard A. Lovett has the cautionary title “Desk jobs can be killers, literally.” Since most of America's jobs are sedentary, ergonomics is becoming a necessity.
Ergonomics is the study of people in the workplace, with a focus on designing the workplace to best fit the employee. Ergonomics often centers on reducing repetitive motions that can lead to repetitive stress injuries (RSI), or creating a workplace to eliminate overuse of muscles and poor posture which can lead to workplace musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD). The most common RSI’…
New Editions has been recognized with three awards for our diversity and inclusion. As a government contractor specializing in health, disability and historically marginalized populations, we work side-by-side with our government partners to create a more inclusive environment – through information technology and systems that are accessible, programs that are inclusive, training managers and supporting programs that promote independence, community integration and inclusivity. In April, the Federal Employees with Disabilities (FEDs) President asked me to speak at the 2015 New Perspectives…
As supervisors and managers, often we think of our responsibilities as meeting deadlines, managing costs and budgets, hitting our sales or profit goals and keeping our bosses and customers happy. And it does mean all of that, but there is also a responsibility to the people who help us make all these things happen – our employees.
When I was in school, learning about management and business, nobody talked about this aspect of the job. Yet finding the right people for tasks, keeping them engaged, providing them with the growth opportunities that allow us to build a stable and…
September is College Savings Month—a month to remind and encourage people to start a 529 Plan. Section 529 plans make it easy and affordable for the average family to plan ahead for the cost of college attendance and are available in 49 states and the District of Columbia. Across the nation, many activities are held during September to recognize the importance of saving for college.
Today, a college education is a costly, but often a necessary qualification to get a job. For those whose families didn’t save, it’s still possible…
If the ADA were a person, it should be graduating college by now and looking for a job. However, workplace equality for people with disabilities is where the least progress has been made in the last quarter century, according to an informal poll of webinar attendees during “24 Years of the ADA: Progress, Pitfalls and Possibilities” hosted by Cornell University and the Northeast ADA Center on July 9, 2014. Where has the most progress been made? According to attendees polled, it is in the accessibility of physical spaces. Examine your workplace and you’ll find evidence of both. Are…
New Editions was named a “2014 Top Workplace” in the Washington Post last month. Washingtonian magazine named New Editions Consulting, Inc. one of the “50 Great Places to Work” in 2013. In addition to winning these awards, we have grown the business base by $1M per year for the past 12 years. Clearly, we are doing something right in our small company. We believe our success is directly related to the diversity and inclusiveness of our personnel who are the faces of the company and the keys to our success. We believe that as Federal contractors begin to…
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), over the past few years the population of young adults and teenagers in the U.S. has participated less in the workforce. Analysts have suggested that the causes are varied, but include stronger competition from older, unemployed workers and an increased focus among younger adults and teenagers on volunteerism and skills attainment instead of employment, to name a few. Recently the unemployment rate has decreased, so if you’re looking to hire teenage and young adult employees this summer, it’s likely that you’ll have increased difficulty in…