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Goodwill Industries International Marks 15th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

Much Accomplished, Challenges Remain

July 21, 2005  

Rockville, MD — The Americans with Disabilities Act, signed into law by President George H. W. Bush on July 26, 1990, has introduced significant changes in access and services to Americans with disabilities. The law, which was intended to prohibit discrimination, has resulted in improved workplaces and public facilities. However, as one of the nation’s largest employers of and service providers to people with disabilities, Goodwill Industries International recognizes that challenges remain.

The 2004 National Organization on Disability/Harris Survey of Americans with disabilities found that only 35 percent of people with disabilities reported being employed full or part time, compared with 78 percent of those without disabilities. The same survey found that three times as many people with disabilities live in poverty, with annual household incomes below $15,000, as compared to the general population.

“At Goodwill, we are all too familiar with the struggles that so many people with disabilities experience,” says Eric Olson, Goodwill Industries International’s Director of Workforce Development. “While we have seen progress over the past 15 years, it is still a challenge for many workers with disabilities to be seen on a par with employees who are not disabled.”

One area of concern is the unwarranted apprehension felt by many employers about hiring people with physical or mental disabilities. For instance, most workers with disabilities require no special accommodations while the cost for those who do is minimal or often less than employers believe. In addition, a 30-year DuPont study found that employees with disabilities have above-average records in job performance, dependability, attendance and safety.“Hiring a person with a disability who wants to work and will stay in the job a long time is a sound investment for any company to make,” says Olson. “It’s not about acting on your social conscience; it’s about making a smart business decision.”

One such standout employee is Bryon Riesch, the 2004 Goodwill Industries Graduate of the Year. He has had C-4 quadriplegia ever since a backyard water slide accident at age 19. Following his accident, Riesch returned to college and earned his degree. And, with the help of Ability Connection, a career services program at Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin (Milwaukee), he earned an internship at Northwestern Mutual, where he is now employed full time as a programmer analyst.

“Goodwill believes in the power of work, and the fundamental improvement which that power can make in people’s lives,” says George W. Kessinger, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. “When you hire someone who has not worked before, you energize the economy while boosting that person’s self-esteem, which in turn boosts their chances for success and satisfaction elsewhere in their lives and in the lives of those around them. This is the promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a promise that, so far, has been only partly realized.”