Because of what I've been through, not much bothers me. One thing that does bother me is a dismal statistic: 70% of people with disabilities are unemployed. That's scary. Why is it scary? Because you have a population that's dependent on taxpayer money for survival. Due to budget cuts, many support services that disabled people rely on are going to be limited or terminated. Many disabilities are hereditary, so many disabled people didn't ask to be born with a medical condition. I've always believed that life is tough, but 10x tougher with a disability, because a disabled person has to battle discrimination, ridicule (yes, there are jerks that mock disabled people), judgmental people, etc. Ask any person with a disability, and they would gladly trade places with a non-disabled person. Nobody should have the odds stacked against them early on; people with disabilities deserve the same shot as everyone else. When you have biased employers that won't give a person with a disability a chance to prove themself, you get a 70% unemployment rate among persons with disabilities. You can have two qualified employees for a position, one candidate has a disability and the other is non-disabled. The disabled person is the best candidate for the job, but the employer can't outright say "I won't hire you because of your disability." due to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Instead, employers will make excuses for why a PWD (Person With Disability) won't get the job. "It was great meeting you, and while you were very qualified for the job; we selected someone whose education, experience and skills closely match the requirements for the position." That's code for "Your disability prevents you from excelling in the position". I know how to read between the lines, so people can't get over on me. Every person with a disability WANTS to work, and should be given that shot. The only way the unemployment rate about PWD's will decrease is if employers check their biases at the door, and realize that PWD's have higher retention rates, and perform just as well as, or better than their non-disabled counterparts (http://www.strategicdiversity.com/Diversity_Statistics.htm). Employers complain about difficulty finding qualified employees, but they refuse to give a qualified person with a disability a shot to show what they can do. If you refuse to give someone a shot, you as an employer have NO RIGHT to complain about difficulty finding qualified employees. The talent is out there, but they know their worth, and won't let companies take advantage of them. Let's be real here: You have PWD's that live productive, successful lives, but that's because an employer looked past their handicap, and saw them as an asset to their company. The only other alternative is self-employment for persons with disabilities, since they are subject to widespread & severe discrimination in the workplace. Not every disabled person is lazy, so people need to cut the crap about their idiotic statements towards those with disabilities. Most PWD's would run circles around some people in the workplace.
