Page 6 - ABILITY Magazine - Best Practices Employment

s commissioner of the Rehabilitation Ser- vices Administration, Janet LaBreck over- sees programs that help people with disabili- ties find employment and live more indepen- dently. Prior to that role within the US
LaBreck: Isn’t that interesting.
Department of Education, she headed up the Massachu- setts Commission for the Blind, which served more than 30,000 people. ABILITY’s Chet Cooper and Lia Mar- tirosyan were in the nation’s capital to talk with LaBreck about the Obama Administration’s vision for cultivating the workforce of the future. At times, LaBreck’s husband, Russell, joined in the conversation.
LaBreck: A condition.
Janet LaBreck: Disability crosses every area, every socio-economic status, and includes every ethnicity.
You know, when I came into my role as commissioner in Massachusetts, I really felt very strongly about using that platform as an opportunity to get current informa- tion out, whether it was disability related or political. For the six years that I was there, I hosted a show on the Radio Reading Service Network, which covered programming for 23 states throughout the country.
Cooper: We say it’s the fabric of all our lives, eventually affecting us personally. Unless you die instantly, you’re likely to have some form of disability as you age. The National Institutes of Health say that we generally have 13 years of one or more disabilities in our lifetime.
As host, I stepped out of the traditional commissioner role. I brought political figures in and sought out authors who may have written books about disability, and also those who had some knowledge or interest in bringing information to this community. Beyond the blind community, Reading Radio Service Network is for anyone who has an inability to access printed material, for whatever reason. I even did a program once on tax exemptions and benefits for people with disabilities, and told the gentleman: “Whatever you do, you can’t sound
LaBreck: Wow!
Cooper: The work we do tends to be geared more towards the employable-age workforce; we’re trying to change society’s attitudes in that sector. People’s attitude eventually change, as they acquire a disability. Although we do know people who have aged, acquired a disability, but don’t think of it as one.
Cooper: They think of it as a health issue.
Cooper: “What did you say?, What?” They have severe hearing loss, using canes. Yet they aren’t connecting to their reality.
LaBreck: “You just crossed over...”
18 ABILITY