Why Businesses Should Hire More Veterans With Disabilities

Most people would agree that America's Veterans with disabilities -- those who have served and sacrificed for our freedoms -- clearly deserve a fair shot at what is at the heart of the American dream, a good job with a good company.

Yet the unemployment statistic for Veterans with severe disabilities is a startling 85 percent.

How can we work together to change this picture and to turn this grim statistic around? How can we bring the collective power of the public and private sectors together to improve the quality of paralyzed Veterans' lives while also improving business' bottom line?

At Paralyzed Veterans of America (www.pva.org), we decided to meet this challenge head on -- helping those who wore the uniform and were seriously injured get good jobs and careers.

We invested in a vocational rehabilitation program, designed to empower Veterans with disabilities with the services and tools they need to reintegrate into the job market -- while matching them with businesses and organizations with career positions.

The program -- with offices in Richmond, VA; Minneapolis, MN; San Antonio, TX; Long Beach, CA, Boston, MA and Augusta, GA -- was established through an innovative public-private partnership between Paralyzed Veterans of America, businesses and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

We have helped hundreds of Veterans with disabilities through this program and have developed working relationships with more than 300 employers.

There are three elements that work to make our jobs and careers program a success: connecting with Veterans, connecting with businesses and changing perceptions.

The program receives clients in a number of ways, from visiting newly injured patients to word of mouth. But the most important thing is that the program proactively reaches out to the Veterans, often meeting them early in the rehabilitation process, engaging patients, their families and outpatients alike and publicizing the program at events and in the media. With our offices located in VA spinal cord injury (SCI) centers, we maximize vocational rehabilitation exposure to the SCI Veterans and service providers.

Our voc rehab counselors network with Chambers of Commerce, community organizations (such as Rotary), job fairs and Veterans employment coordinators. They attend meetings and reach out to local and national employers to develop a network of business leaders who want to hire America's Veterans.

For Veterans with disabilities, career opportunities can change their expectations of what comes next for them. With encouragement and help, they feel empowered to take the rights steps to finding a good job and fulfilling career.

For businesses, Veterans make great employees. They are disciplined, focused, reliable, hard working, team players and much more. In addition to working with Veterans, our voc rehab team spend time educating employers on working with people with disabilities. We complete a work assessment of the position to ensure we provide a good fit for the employer. We also provide information on tax and other incentives that vary by state for hiring people with disabilities. Plus, the program is recognized as an approved "employer network" (EN) by the Social Security Administration.

The truth is, hiring more Veterans with disabilities is a win, win for our country. Those who served secure good careers; employers get great employees; and, in turn, our economy becomes stronger.

It's a strategy that helps empower America's best with everything they need to live full, self-sufficient and productive lives. It's a strategy that's good for business and great for our nation.

Employers: America needs you to hire more paralyzed and disabled Veterans!

Bill Lawson of Woodward, Oklahoma was elected National President of Paralyzed Veterans of America at its 64th Annual Convention in August 2010. He is a staunch advocate for veterans and people with disabilities.

This story is part of Military Families Week, an effort by HuffPost and AOL to put a spotlight on issues affecting America's families who serve. Find more at jobs.aol.com/militaryfamilies and aol.com.

 

Comments

[Austin Murphy]

11:23 PM on 04/17/2011

I agree they should and some already have. I read about Bobby Kotick of Activsion's Call of Duty Endowment (http://www.callofdutyendowment.org/about-us/about-code/ ) and it's work like this that shows they are stepping up to the plate. With over 20% unemployment of returning vets these actions should be front page news.

[edgarcaycedoc]

07:43 PM on 04/12/2011

When I was discharged after six years active duty in 1978, I was repeatedly told, "We already have more dopeheads than we can pay." I applied in suit and tie, and had been clean of even alcohol for over a year. I finally landed a job. But the one that made me maddest was when I tried to go back to the factory where I had been working before going in the military. They knew who I was, and still refused to hire me.

[TitaniumAvatar]

04:24 PM on 04/12/2011

That would be a good start, maybe after that they could start hiring...period.

[Miserable Swine]

04:13 PM on 04/12/2011

Would Huffpost users agree that mental health issues also come under the definition of a disability (in that employers should also hire people with a diagnosed mental illness?)

I have BPD (comorbid with depression). My chances of being hired (I am in the UK) are about 0.00001 percent maybe?

[mashtoe]

02:08 PM on 04/12/2011

We don't even hire Americans. Why would we hire disabled veterans? Free trade and globalization means there is nothing special about America. We are all just in a global market, each for themselves.

Look at H1b work visas. Our government let's us import workers into America. And there is a looming amnesty. What more proof do you need that nobody cares about America or Americans. We certainly don't care about vets and disabled vets just need to get in line. Do you have skills? Are you able and fit? If no, TOO BAD! It's a global market. I'm just telling you how it is with free trade and globalization.

[hrpmap]

04:41 PM on 04/12/2011

Any vet that applies for a job currently held by an H1 visa holder should be hired by law and the visa holder sent home as long as the vet is equally qualified.

[edgarcaycedoc]

07:45 PM on 04/12/2011

Any veteran can get a job. All they have to do is accept pay that only illegal immigrants are earning. They can overlook even illegalities (such as illegal immigration) as long as they can pay starvation wages.

[blindhog]

12:31 PM on 04/12/2011

Why? When they can hire illegal aliens under the table and nobody seems to give a damn. Our borders are wide open and our government doesn't seem to want to do anything about it (notice the recent ruling against Arizona).

[phill273]

10:31 AM on 04/12/2011

I think businesses would like to hire veterans with handicap. However, the ADA has made individuals with handicaps walking (figuratively) lawsuits.

[CrzyRussell]

11:07 AM on 04/12/2011

In CA there are groups of lawyers that sue local businesses for ADA violations... such as a mirror being 2" too high. They don't care about it being fixed they just want the money. They have proven this by refusing to negotiate after the so called violations are fixed as they often are before the lawsuit even lands in court.

We have had many a business go into bankruptcy and close as a result of these frivolous lawsuits.

[PeterNAZ]

11:40 AM on 04/12/2011

Interesting thought, I would be curious as to what data that comment was based on. I see people with catastrophic disabilities take on jobs such as school teachers, salesmen, executives, human resource coaches, working Moms and most are quite successful in their career fields and there lives. I fail to see where the legal liability (ADA?) interferes with hard working people with disabilities or their employers. Please I'd appreciate the education.

[phill273]

10:28 AM on 04/13/2011

I'll give you one example. There's a provision in the ADA that fines a company $4,000 every time somebody comes in and catches an infraction. It doesn't matter if it's the same infraction. All it takes is one person to file a lawsuit to destroy a business. These $4,000/infraction fines can be for something as little as having a mirror that is an inch too high.