October is National Disability Month

Frank J. Lucero, Ph.D.
Executive Director

On October 1, 2010 President Obama issued a proclamation marking October 2010 as National Disability Employment Awareness Month. The 2010 theme is Talent Has No Boundaries: Workforce Diversity Includes Workers with Disabilities.

Working age adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities experience an unemployment rate of about 80%. These are able-bodied people who want and deserve to work; yet, they are persistently UN- or under-employed. We all must re-double our efforts in support of people with developmental disabilities and other special needs.

Laradon is providing comprehensive employment services to people with disabilities through our Community and Employment Services program.  We recently became a Provider Network for the Social Security Administration's Ticket to Work program and we are working to help more people with special needs obtain competitive employment in the future.  We are hopeful that this proclamation will increase workplace diversity in Colorado; we are certainly looking forward to working with the community.  If you have a connection to a Colorado business that could benefit from Laradon’s Community and Employment Services program, we welcome your thoughts and comments.

Also, on October 6, 2010, President Obama signed “Rosa’s Law” which changes references of mental retardation to intellectual disability. This a good thing for everyone involved with the developmentally disabled community. It’s been a long time coming!