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Goodwill Industries International Marks National Disability Employment Awareness Month

October 1, 2008

Rockville, MD – People with disabilities are among the labor market’s untapped employee pools. Goodwill Industries^® marks the 20th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month by educating employers and debunking myths about workers with disabilities. For more than 100 years, Goodwill^® has been providing job training and employment services in both the private and public sectors to people with disabilities.

“Employees with disabilities meet a broader need in the community,” says Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International^®. “Goodwill guides companies and organizations on how to provide a seamless transition for job seekers with physical and mental disabilities through the use of assistive technology and other devices.”

Job performance by people with disabilities is equal to or better than their peers without disabilities, according to a study conducted by Business Week. In addition, the National Disability Council^® reports a 50 percent jump in requests for workers with disabilities from firms as diverse as Bank of America^® and Microsoft^®.

Andy Arnette, one such employee, was paralyzed 22 years ago by a gunshot wound to the neck. Following the shooting, Arnette’s wife and three-year-old son left him. After enrolling in Goodwill’s computer training program, Royal Insurance offered Arnette an internship and later hired him. He then moved over to Bank of America, where he works today as a business support manager. Arnette is also a founding member of Bank of America’s Disability Affinity Group, which provides resources to employees with disabilities as well as to their family members or friends with disabilities. He has traveled across the United States to establish 12 other chapters and increase disability awareness.

Jim Barnette suffered a brain hemorrhage when he was only six weeks old. The hemorrhage caused a stroke and left him legally blind, mildly quadriplegic and cognitively delayed. Barnette has to constantly relearn skills. Barnette trained and ran in three marathons in order to prove his determination, physical fitness and ability to society. After working in Goodwill retail for the past five years, Barnette now has purpose, responsibility and independence. To view Barnette’s story, go to www.kgw.com and type “Goodwill Turns 80.”

“Hiring people with disabilities is good business,” says Gibbons. “Employers should tap into this skilled labor pool for the benefit of what people with disabilities can do, and the value they bring to a company.”

To learn more about working with people with disabilities, visit www.goodwill.org.

For free broadcast-quality video, visit www.thenewsmarket.com/Goodwill.