It’s also Disability EmploymentAwareness Month, and a number of activities are taking place across the City, state and country.  PBS will be showing “Lives Worth Living,” a disability rights documentary on Independent Lens on October 27th at 10 PM.   Let us know if there are other activities in your community or here at CUNY we can publicize!

Next month I’ll be going to Washington, D.C. for the Alliance for Full Participation Summit, which will bring together a cross section of people who believe in the importance of integrated employment and are committed to making this a reality.  The goal is to double integrated employment for people with disabilities by 2015.  State teams will be setting goals and making plans to reach them so that this target can be realized.

The reality is that so many people with disabilities are unemployed or underemployed, increasing poverty and decreasing the quality of life.  Disabled people have much to contribute, and they deserve an opportunity to do so. 

Mariette Bates