Another Victory - HB 655 Passes

Congratulations advocates! HB 655, the bill that will create the Employment and Economic Opportunities Task Force for People with Disabilities has passed both the House and the Senate and is on its way to Governor Quinn for his signature.

Thank you for all of your efforts to educate your legislators and members of your community on this very important issue! Thanks to those of you who demonstrated your support for this bill by distributing information, signing our petition, and telling your story about how the high rate of unemployment for people with disabilities affects you personally.

There has been a history of barriers to equal employment opportunity for people with disabilities in Illinois, and those barriers continue to exist in the public and the private sectors.

There are many qualified people with disabilities in Illinois who are unable to obtain competitive employment. The unemployment rate for people with disabilities far exceeds the unemployment rate for people without disabilities.

In response to this high rate of unemployment for people with disabilities, and as one component of our employment-related goals, CCDI worked with Representative Golar and Senator Collins on HB 655.

The Employment and Economic Opportunity for People with Disabilities Task Force, which would include representation from the disability community, will be required to analyze: programs and policies of the State to determine what changes, modifications, and innovations may be necessary to remove barriers to competitive employment and economic opportunity for persons with disabilities; State disability systems, including the mental health, developmental disabilities, veterans’ assistance, workforce investment, and rehabilitation services systems, and their effect on employment of people with disabilities; and applicable research and policy studies, innovations in other States, and any federal policy initiatives such as customized employment, and federal funding opportunities that would increase competitive employment and economic opportunity for people with disabilities in Illinois.

In today’s economy, the need for a task force is easily demonstrated by the fact that millions of federal and state dollars are invested each year in education, training, supported employment, vocational training and other services related to the employment and training of people with disabilities in Illinois — without any significant gains in the rate of competitive employment for people with disabilities.

As stated by the legislature, “it is in the best social and economic interests of the State of Illinois to expand competitive employment and economic opportunity for people with disabilities in Illinois.”

Competitive employment and other economic opportunity for people with disabilities will facilitate self-sufficiency and independent living for more people with disabilities in Illinois.

Our next step is to work to educate even more employers about the benefits of hiring people with disabilities. Please contact us to receive an Employment Kit that you can use in your efforts!

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