BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — There is a month dedicated to spreading awareness for a community that may sometimes be overlooked.
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
Wednesday, a local group that helps people living with disabilities to succeed in the workforce, got a big boost!
The "New York State Industries for the Disabled," donating nearly $44,000 to people inc and the NFTA.
The money is going into a new van and janitorial equipment for People Inc's program employing people with disabilities like James Kuzon who shared why it is such an important program.
They are working towards a more inclusive workforce.
This is also the goal of the Buffalo Common Council to allow for equal opportunities for people living with disabilities.
7 News' Pheben Kassahun spoke with an advocate for people living with disabilities to see what this would mean to their community and what they ultimately want to see happen.
"I want to see the city expand their commitment to employ more people with disabilities," Western New York Independent Living, Inc. Chief Policy Officer, Todd Vaarwerk told Kassahun.
It is a commitment to people living with disabilities in the City of Buffalo.
It is one that Vaarwerk said he is pleased to see but thinks more can be done.
"We have a lot of talented people with disabilities that could be boons for the city but testing is a problem, even reasonably accommodating testing is a problem, so if we can create those opportunities those are real paying jobs or we would like them to be well-paying jobs for the city government. So, that's what I'd like to see," Vaarwerk said.
It is a resolution sponsored by Buffalo Common Council Members Bryan Bollman and Mitch Nowakowski.
The two are calling on top city officials to outline the number of civil service jobs in Buffalo that the city should establish for people living with disabilities.
Section 55-A of the New York State Civil Service Law allows qualified people with certified mental or physical disabilities to be hired into competitive civil service positions without having to take an exam.
Bollman and Nowakowski are asking for a report detailing the departments in which these individuals are employed and the nature of their positions.
Both said in statements that the initiative will strengthen the community as a whole by giving everyone a chance to contribute to it.
"We are creating pathways for meaningful employment and nurturing an environment where everyone can contribute to our City's progress," Bollman said.
"Through this initiative, we are not only enriching the lives of individuals but also strengthening the fabric of our community," Nowakowski said.
Vaarwerk who uses a wheelchair credits his success in the workforce and his personal life to the support he receives and hopes for the same for his community.
"The PCA that helps me get dressed for work in the morning, the reasonable accommodation that my employer Western New York Independent Living provides. Even things looking at how we manage costs like how to get from one place to another, public transit, being able to use the train to go downtown instead of needing to book a paratransit vehicle that's taking forever and a day," Vaarwerk said.
The resolution requests that the report be submitted to the common council for its November 28 meeting.
