March 2 Senate Hearing on Employment of People with DDs

[Guest guest]

If you are interested in employment issues, or just want some inspiration, take

a peek at this Senate Hearing that happened a few days ago in Washington.

Especially look at the second panel, which included eloquent testimony from

Randy of Walgreens and Egan, a distribution clerk at Booz

Hamilton in Vienna, Virginia. VERY POWERFUL STUFF HERE. Randy made me a

little weepy, but in a good way.

Here's the link:

http://help.senate.gov/hearings/hearing/?id=536891af-5056-9502-5d9c-9a3e588e3214

Interesting factoid I pulled from one of the panelists on the second panel:

Statistics collected on the DD employment rates from individual states across

the country, show the rates of employment to vary from 4.5% employed on the low

end up to 65% on the high end. Wonder where IL fits into that spectrum? And

remember, this is specifically data on people with developmental disabilities!

Another interesting quote that stuck with me, this one from Georgia Republican

Senator Isakson, whose disdain for the efficacy of government programs,

especially federal ones, was clear. He said " In the end, I believe it is the

heart of the individual and the will of the family that ultimately determines

their success...government institutions and programs will not automatically take

you there. "

The will of the family. I like that.

Laurie