In Kansas, there are 182,000 working age people with disabilities, 41% of them have been able to find work. While this better than the national average, the Sunflower State under Governor Sam Brownback still has room to improve outcomes for its residents with disabilities. Indeed, 79% of the state’s non-disabled population is employed so the labor force participation gap is massive. In 2012, vocational rehabilitation was able to obtain jobs for 1,619 out of an applicant pool of 6,803 people with disabilities. However, the Brownback Administration gave back $7,500,000 to Washington that could have been used to drive better outcomes and enable more people with disabilities to get jobs. There are 11,300 young people with disabilities in Kansas who will be entering the workforce in the near future. They should not be abandoned at this critical moment.
For in-depth data on Kansas, disability, and employment click here.
States around America returned millions of dollars to the federal government that could have been used to enable people with disabilities to get jobs and careers. This is despite the fact that 70% of people with disabilities are out of the workforce, and disability benefits and healthcare are costing billions to taxpayers.
Vocational rehabilitation and workforce development programs, when resources are allocated to proven best practices, can enable people with disabilities to secure stable employment. In 2012, vocational rehabilitation agencies helped 177,172 Americans with disabilities get jobs and careers. These programs operate by having the federal government match nearly $4 for every $1 that is spent by the individual states. However, if the states fail to spend the money or come up with matching funds, then the funds go back to the federal government.
“Denying capable people with disabilities the opportunity to get jobs and careers harms them and wastes tax money,” said Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, President of RespectAbility. “It also hurts employers who are missing out on the real talents that people with disabilities can provide them.”
RespectAbility has been meeting with governors across the country to share concrete evidence that enabling people to work is a win-win-win for people with disabilities, employers and taxpayers alike. They have partnered with other national disability groups on a toolkit to help states use the most cost effective programs to help more people with disabilities to achieve the American dream.
The leadership of governors is vital to enabling people with disabilities to get into jobs and off government benefits. A key example of leadership in action is Governor Jack Markell of Delaware and his efforts through the National Governors’ Association. In 2012, the NGA launched the Better Bottom Line: Employing People with Disabilities initiative. This effort focused on building partnerships between state governments and employers to create employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
One in five Americans has a disability and most people with disabilities want to work, just like everyone else. Some employers miss out on hiring job applicants with disabilities due to negative stigmas and persistent myths. However evidence shows that people with disabilities can be outstanding employees, leaders within companies, and are extremely loyal workers. State vocational rehabilitation programs are just one way of ensuring that people with disabilities can achieve the American dream.
Below is a list of states that have had to return money to Washington that was allocated to them from the federal government to enable their citizens with disabilities get and maintain jobs and careers.