Working For a Better Life

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month.  Today, 70% of people with disabilities are not employed, even though polls show that most of them would prefer to work. Incredibly, this is about the same percentage of unemployed persons since the early 1980's when I began my work in the field of disabilities.

The Unitarian Universalist Association, along with many other religious organizations, signed a Statement of Solidarity Around the Employment of People with Disabilities.  It pledges us to promote the full employment of people with disabilities in our congregations and in the wider community. For more information on the Statement of Solidarity, click on http://www.aapd.com/what-we-do/interfaith/idac-statement-of-solidarity.html

What can congregations do to support this commitment to full employment?  Here are some ideas developed by the Interfaith Disability Advocacy Coalition, of which the UUA is a member:

• Develop a plan to offer support to people in the congregation who are out of work
• Communicate to members and visitors in the congregation the need to support an initiative to hire more people with disabilities
• Encourage employers who are members of the congregation and within the community to hire qualified people with disabilities
• Encourage local organizations that have job assistance programs to include a component that will assist persons with disabilities to find employment:

You can find specific suggestions on how to implement the above ideas at http://www.aapd.com/what-we-do/interfaith/idac-suggested-steps.pdf

Unemployment is an affront to one's dignity, self-worth and ability to achieve a satisfactory quality of life.  We have to do better.  Please share the attachments in this message with members of your congregation and work collaboratively to improve opportunities for people with disabilities to gain employment.

With respect,

Mark Bernstein

Congregational Life Staff, Central East Region of the UUA

UUA Liaison to Equual Access

What's In a Name?

It was Mark Twain who wrote that “…language is a treacherous thing, a most unsure vehicle…” For people with disabilities and their allies, the struggle over language is on-going. There are those who insist on “people first” language as the means to convey respect for the individual and the acknowledgement that one is not defined by his or her disability, but by their deeds and their character. On the other side are those who say that we spend too much time worrying about labels and images and instead should be focusing on effecting concrete societal changes for a group that has historically been marginalized and discriminated against. “It doesn’t matter what you call us (or them)”, they say. “What matters is how we (or they) are treated.”

Personally, I align with those who believe that language is important; that how we refer to people often suggests and defines how we treat people. And so we continue to search for labels and titles that command greater respect and reduce the stigma attached to people with disabilities. For example, 43 states so far have taken steps to remove the word “retarded” from their laws, conceding that the word “retarded” is outdated and has become offensive. In most cases, the word was replaced with the term “intellectual disability.”

It is in this context that I applaud the Unitarian Universalist Association Board of Trustees for voting to place on the 2014 General Assembly agenda, new by-laws language related to inclusion. In Article II: Principles and Purposes, the current language reads, “The Association declares and affirms its special responsibility and that of its member congregations and organizations to promote the full participation of persons in all of its and their activities and in the full range of human endeavor without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, language, citizenship status, economic status, or national origin and without requiring adherence to any particular interpretation of religion or to any particular religious belief or creed.”

The proposed language reads, “Systems of power, privilege, and oppression have traditionally created barriers for persons and groups with particular identities, abilities and histories. We pledge (to do all we can) to replace such barriers with ever-widening circles of solidarity and mutual respect. We strive to be an association of congregations that truly welcome all persons and commit to structuring congregational and associational life in ways that empower and enhance everyone’s participation.”

The latter paragraph is a call to action. It replaces the word “disability” with “abilities.” It puts into context the struggle to advance the rights of people who have historically been marginalized. It calls on all congregations to welcome everyone into circles of respect, empowerment and participation in congregational life.

We in Equual Access have the opportunity to lead the way in supporting the UUA in this commitment. The UUA-Equual Access partnership is strong and the next few years will see a growing and a cementing of that relationship. The only language that will matter as we move forward is “cooperation”, “collaboration”, and “courage.”

With respect,

Mark Bernstein
CERG Growth Consultant and UUA Liaison to Equual Access

Politics as Usual

Former Senator Bob Dole, at right in a wheelchair, entered the Senate with his wife to support a United Nations disabilities treaty.

In late November of this year, a news story appeared in USA Today that received very little attention elsewhere.  The Senate rejected a United Nations treaty banning discrimination against people with disabilities.  This failure to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was purely political.  It was essentially done in by a coalition of Republican legislators who balk at anything that has to do with the UN.  This unfortunate happenstance represents a lost opportunity for the United States, who has led the way in creating greater opportunities for people with disabilities, to be seen as a champion for the rights of people with disabilities in the rest of the world. 

I contacted Bruce Knotts, Director of the Unitarian Universalist Association United Nations Office.  He responded promptly and informed me that..."we very much support U.S. ratification of all UN treaties.  It was shameful that the senate failed to ratify the UN Convention on the rights of people with disabilities."

While the Senate vote is disappointing, it is heartening to know that our UUA-UN office is advocating for people with disabilities and serving as our voice in speaking out on this critical issue.

Mark Bernstein

CERG Growth Consultant and UUA Liaison to Equual Access