Excerpt from: Disability Blog (click for full article)
t seems that news about employment of people with disabilities is often bleak. Earlier this month it was reported that unemployment numbers for people with disabilities are on the rise, jumping from 11.7 percent at the close of 2012 to 13.7 percent at the end of January 2013. This increase came despite no significant rise in unemployment in the general population.
Accusations of job discrimination based on disability are also climbing, with 26,379 claims filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2012. That is highest number on record, and a statistic that has risen every year since 2005. Whether job-based discrimination is actually increasing or vigilance in reporting is simply improving, these reports are discouraging to people with disabilities and the population as a whole.
But there is good news, too. The job market is becoming more flexible for all workers, which benefits people with disabilities. In many ways, the workplace struggles of employees and job-seekers with disabilities are reflective of larger cultural issues and as a result, greater attention is being paid to the issues.
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