Did you know that about 30% of working professionals in the U.S. have disability and most go unreported? The under reporting is intensified by the stigma that is attached with having any sort of disability especially in the workplace. According to the Harvard Business Review article, employees with disability may experience perceived threats if they disclose their health status to human resources or managers because of fear of retaliation; for example, they may be deemed as “lazy or less capable” or even passed over for promotion. Therefore, creating a competitive integrated employment (CIE) is essential because it level sets employees standards and needs without any form of exclusion or intimidation.
The Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act (TCIEA) is a policy issued to address these needs of persons with disabilities at work. The bill is proposed to award grants to states and business entities that will transform their business and employment program models to support persons with disabilities. According to the CDC research findings show that 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. have some type of disability (27%); hence, 1 in 4 adults with disabilities have unmet healthcare needs because of cost. Working-age disabled adults have healthcare access barriers and disproportionately paid compared to non-disabled workers affecting their livelihood and wellbeing. The TCIEA bill aims to offer support by:
- Ending the subminimum wage and encouraging CIE.
- Provide inclusive employment, integrated community participation, and wraparound services for persons with disabilities.
- Ensure these individuals receive the same level of benefits compared to their non-disabled counterparts.
- Provide career advancement opportunities similar to employees without disabilities in similar positions.
- Assist individuals with disabilities in finding and retaining work of aforementioned employment.
This is a Bipartisan bill that will enhance the livelihood of persons with disabilities and improve workforce health, productivity, and economy by ensuring equitable and inclusive systems are in place in order to accommodate all employees with or without disability (impartially). Having all disabled persons being able to safely disclose their health needs without retaliation, can create a better working environment and possibly reduce many sick leaves. The intersection between workforce capacity and disability biases such as ableism, instistutional discrimination, limited accommodations should be dismantled as it is a public health concern because it increases other social determinants of health for persons with disabilities. Studies show that lack of disability data leads to insufficient SDOH strategies and resources required to address the unmet needs of this demographic. TCIEA bill can significantly help bridge this gap and encourage people to report their disability status. Health equity should be applied in all non-clinical settings including workplace not only in the hospitals.
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