Employment opportunities for people with disabilities have shifted toward white collar work over the last three decades.
Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging Brad Turner said available jobs for people with disabilities are more engaging compared to previous years. Turner said people with disabilities have been excluded to entry level positions. Turner said state and local business cooperation has opened new opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
“A lot of folks and businesses and communities just didn’t look to the disability community for employees, but now they’re doing that, so we’re really excited about the direction that we’re headed in Tennessee,” Turner said. “And we’re hoping that we’re going to continue to grow that field in opportunities for people with disabilities because we know there are a lot of people that are hiring in the state.”
Turner said new jobs include working in sales, tech, and real estate financial institutions. A shift from blue collar to white collar opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Turner said historically, the disabled community could not access those types of opportunities.
“I’m excited about that because that leads to better paying jobs and more engagement in the community,” Turner said.
Turner said there is a better general awareness of disability employment and both the department and state have prioritized expanding opportunities. Turner said the department works with colleges, community providers and individuals to help pursue employment opportunities available through local businesses.
“Their disability should not stop them from pursuing their dream of work. And what we want to do in the state of Tennessee is, there’s dignity in a paycheck,” Turner said. “And so we’ve worked very closely with a lot of these partners, both public and private, so their aware of the opportunities that their loved ones can pursue and the Tennesseans with disabilities understand that they don’t have to not work if they don’t want to not do it.”
“We’re still in the infant stages of community and the state and the country and in many instances the world understanding that people with disabilities want to pursue gainful employment the same as any of us do.”
Turner said the Americans with Disabilities Act paved the way for disabled Americans. Turner said the majority of progress for individuals with disabilities is recent history. Turner said the legislation is 35 years old.
“We’re certainly farther along with more opportunities for people with disabilities,” Turner said. “We’re not where we want to be but considering where we’ve come over the last 30 to 40 years there’s been significant advancements in community engagement and business that are really interested in hiring Tennesseans with disabilities.”
Tennessee does not have as many housing facilities to support individuals with disabilities as other states. Turner said over 30 states have institutions to house disabled individuals. Turner said Tennessee is one of 14 states that do not have institutions.
“It’s still a relatively new concept that Tennesseans with disabilities can work,” Turner said. “So we’ve done a really good job promoting the idea that we can live in the community as Tennesseans with disabilities, we can work just like those who have traditional abilities.”
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“The needle for people with disabilities is not that far removed from generations who didn’t even have peers with disabilities in their classroom,” Turner said.
