By Guest Blogger Bill Lawson (U.S. Army, Ret.), National President of Paralyzed Veterans of America
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 as we mark National Disability Employment Awareness Month, 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 (http://www.pva.org/), we decided to meet this challenge head on through our Mission: ABLE initiative (www.mission-able.com) – 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 and Boston, MA – was established through an innovative public-private partnership between Paralyzed Veterans of America, businesses and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In fact, our sixth office will open its doors, at no cost to tax payers, just after Veterans Day next month and is based at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia.
We have helped hundreds of Veterans with disabilities through this program and have developed working relationships with more than 300 employers. Of those helped, 120 have already obtained new careers with numerous employers. 63 program clients are Veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq.
There are three elements that work to make the Mission: ABLE initiative 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, Mission: ABLE initiative staff members also 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 (U.S. Army, Ret.) of Woodward, Oklahoma was elected National President of Paralyzed Veterans of America at its 64th Annual Convention in August. He is a staunch advocate for Veterans and people with disabilities.
This is why the VA has three Nobel Prizes, and I sense a fourth will come in health-care sciences. Veteran volunteers in the fields of outreach-intervention & mentorship; the heartland, the farmlands; the inner-cities in partnerships with the local, regional and national dialogs understand greater today the need to continue ahead. From the police agencies, to the city councils, the EMS teams and the veterans courts we are seeing a wider philanthropic energy stream. The VA cannot do it alone, it’s a team concept in the outreach-intervention & mentorships bridges we still need to gap. As long as the VA leadership takes on civic-engagement, as long as VA continues to reach the volunteers in advocacy, we will reach every era veteran with the message. And the scientific based outcome a healthy veteran, family and partnership sharing in this prime directive. Etiology is a term, just a word, yet its energy is based on observations based on population and first hand knowledge gained in outreach and intervention. From homeless/distressed and isolating vets in shelters and in line on a cold day at a soup kitchen, we’re there. Our VA partners, outreach staff, count on the wisdom of our knowledge. Keeping that sacred stuff is our task, insuring there is a open dialogue when anger and confusion is apparent in the streets. Removing any doubts the veteran has and maybe providing a warm coat donated from somewhere is our prime directive, that many came before them and learned there are solutions, countless solutions at hand simply trust the process. From cold weather shelters and soup kitchens, this is the volunteer veteran mission. The “partners.” We need more, we need a greater voice in advocacy. Your letter reaches the SOS streets-of-solutions teams…and is right on target. Thank you VA leadership, thank you for establishing a two-way communication link that allows for insights to be passed forward. It is logistical – communication is the prime directive in solving our most basic tasks, our noble mission continues. James (Jim) W., Pittsburgh Operation Safety Net. FEMA Cold Weather Shelters-ShepHeart Vets Home Board.
As a small business owner, I want to hire disabled veterans. We have contacted our local DAV office and they sent over 1 person. We hired him. We need someone with some industry knowledge of construction management. We have asked for more resumes weeks ago and we get NOTHING back. We need to hire 10 more people and I am sure there would be qualified DAV who would be a good fit, but we can’t find them. These are good positions make a very good wage with benefits. Any suggestions on what to do?
Hi Glenda – you may want to post your job listings on the National Resource Directory’s Veterans Job Bank (https://www.nationalresourcedirectory.gov/home/veterans_job_bank). It is free for employers to post, and free for Veterans to search for jobs. For more information, send an email to info@NRD.gov.
It is everyone’s duty to take care of the people who return home with a disability after having sacrificed themselves for our sake. These people need to return to workforce and not be discarded because of a missing body part. But just as importantly, society can’t afford to loose those people who still are able to make a big effort in the labor market. It’s just a question of finding the job that suits them. This obviously requires also a certain flexibility from employers.
Mads H.
I have a learning disability. I was hired under disability at the Army Depot in 1991. Ever since then, Ive tried to get back on with government in Memphis, TN. I’ve tried to get help Vocational Rebalition in 1997 when I got layed off in 1997. I need help to find the right person who can help me at the VA hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Thanks Laura R.
Get conversation, look forward to more with the same content….
Also, if there is any information pertaining to disabled Veterans with ex-offender issues? That would be very helpful. That is such an overlooked area, not just here in Pa., but I would imagine country wide.
I respect and admire any man or woman who knowingly put themselves in harms way and end up disabled.
But lets not forget the government worker who because of an on the job injury ends up disabled and is unable to find work for the next twenty years.
I am a Veteran with a 60% disability rating. I am in Connecticut and now working with a company to build a business. My VP loves to work with Veterans and currently serving National Guard members and offers them an opportunity to become financially independent by becoming self employed. We also do outreach programs to educate individuals and families on money management and how to better save. The problem I face is that none of the Veteran organizations will give me a listening ear. I get promises of “I’ll call you back” and then no one does. This is an opportunity that can only help and it is a great opportunity with a successful company that is listed as the top IPO for 2010. The company offers this opportunity from all its offices in every state to include Puerto Rico.