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WHEREAS, National Disability Employment Awareness Month is celebrated every October to recognize the societal and workforce contributions of people with disabilities. Congress designated it first in 1945 as the "National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week"; the word "physically" was removed in 1962 to allow for the inclusion of all Americans with disabilities. In 1988, the week was extended to a month and changed its name to National Disability Employment Awareness Month; and,
WHEREAS, Jewish Family and Children's Service of Pittsburgh is an independent organization whose mission is to help people through life's changes and challenges by providing psychological, employment and social services. JF&CS's Career Development Center operates the program, EmployAble, which provides individuals with mental health diagnoses and/or autism with support, career counseling and ongoing guidance through the job search, interview, hiring and retention processes; and,
WHEREAS, in addition to one-on-one counseling and specializing group workshops for these job seekers, EmployAble also trains employers about the assets of hiring these individuals and how to accommodate them in the workplace. After individuals are able to obtain employment they and their employers receive continuing support from EmployAble staff as needed to ensure a smooth transition into the workplace; and,
WHEREAS, EmployAble began nearly four years ago with a focus on helping jobseekers with mental health disorders and in 2014, received funding to expand to address the unique employment challenges of individuals on the autism spectrum; and,
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NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby recognize and commend Jewish Family and Children's Service's program EmployAble, for its extraordinary efforts to promote inclusiveness in the region's workforce and congratulates the staff of EmployAble for celebrating National Disability Employment Awar...
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