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The California Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities (CCEPD) advances employment for people with disabilities by making policy recommendations to the Secretary of the Labor and Workforce Development Agency and the Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency . The CCEPD will meet next Thursday February 25, 2021 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm to discuss, among other issues, their Equity Policy Framework in employment of people with disabilities and post-pandemic recovery related to employment. Early in the pandemic it became evident that people with disabilities were disproportionately impacted in several areas including employment. Last October research conducted by Global Disability Inclusion showed that close to 40% of people with disabilities were laid off or furloughed because of the pandemic. That is an alarming number especially when viewed through the lens of preexisting barriers and challenges to employment for people with disabilities. Recent research shows that 80 – 90% of working age people with an intellectual or developmental disability were unemployed leading up to the pandemic. Many people in the IDD community fear that the setbacks in employment will take years to recover from.
The CCEPD Equity in Policy Development centers on the fact that all equity discussions should incorporate disability. Equity in policy development for the CCEPD includes, among other strategies that:
“Each program and system that serves people with disabilities needs to develop strategies to ensure people with disabilities are served and represented in planning initiatives, program development and implementation. Ensuring equity requires engaging people with disabilities in the process to reduce barriers of inequity in education, training, and employment. And for the business community, the ability to create an inclusive work environment that enables people with disabilities to excel in their capabilities and develops leadership skills as a contributing member of the establishment/industry sector which opens the doors to opportunities for gainful employment, retention and leadership.”
As we look to the future of employment and recovering from the pandemic these discussions are critical to ensuring people with disabilities don’t lose, but rather gain ground, in the labor market. If you are interested in attending, and/or, providing public comment during the next meeting you can do so here:
Video Conference: Zoom Meeting
Use Meeting ID: 851 2120 2736 and Passcode: K?&R6#FT
Teleconference: (408) 638-0968
Use Meeting ID: 851 2120 2736 and Passcode: 61051410
More information and the agenda can be found at: https://www.dor.ca.gov/Home/CCEPD