^{FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE}

^{October 1, 2024}

^CONTACT:

^{Yanci Nuñez | ynunez@alianzaamericas.org (312) 866-0312}

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month and Alianza Americas, a network of organizations led by Latin American and Caribbean immigrants throughout the United States, believes in promoting and incentivizing employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.  The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has made significant strides to ensure the right to equal opportunity for people with disabilities by prohibiting discrimination in employment. However, it is still necessary to educate and create working environments that ensure employment for persons with disabilities. There is still much work to be done.

The ADA needs to be fully implemented with a cultural shift that ensures real inclusion in the workforce. Both incentives and sanctions for discrimination would result in higher employment rates. We must create employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. Tax credits are a particular form of incentive that could make a difference. It is also necessary to ensure equal pay and opportunities for promotion. “The unemployment rate for people with disabilities is twice as high as the unemployment rate for people without disabilities. This points to the fact that, despite the prohibition of discrimination in employment of the ADA, persons with disabilities continue to be denied opportunities as a result of their condition,” said Christopher Ramos, Latinx and Immigration Community Organizer at Access Living. “We must address implicit biases in hiring practices and further incentivize employers to hire, retain, and provide accommodations to employees with disabilities,” added Ramos. 

Undocumented persons with disabilities face additional hurdles. A special visa program for persons who suffer workplace injuries leading to a disability would address a particular form of inequity. Workers deserve protection, particularly after a work injury or accident. “Employees should not have to endure unsafe work environments, yet many unfortunately do. Undocumented workers, in particular, face a higher risk of workplace injuries compared to other workers,” said Michelle García, Manager of Organizing and Community Development at Access Living. “The federal government can and should create a special visa program, like those created for victims of crimes and human trafficking, so that undocumented immigrants that acquire a disability as a result of a workplace injury can access federal medical insurance programs and public assistance,” added García. 

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Alianza Americas is the premier transnational advocacy network of Latin American migrant-led organizations working in the United States, across the Americas, and globally to create an inclusive, equitable and sustainable way of life for communities across North, Central and South America.

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