SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif — October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. One of the goals of the campaign is to raise awareness about the issues people with disabilities face when it comes to finding and keeping a job. This year's theme for the campaign is "Advancing Access and Equity."
Across the nation, the employment rate for people with disabilities is still far behind the employment rate for people without disabilities. According to the US Department of Labor, only 24% of people with disabilities are employed. 68% of people without disabilities have a job.
PRIDE Industries is a nonprofit organization in Roseville with a mission to create employment for people with disabilities. In recognition of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, PRIDE Industries hosted the first-ever I AM ABLE Disability Job Fair Wednesday.
Hundreds of people went to the job fair at The Officer's Club in McClellan Park. It was the only hiring event in the Greater Sacramento region designed, specifically, for people with disabilities. More than 20 companies participated too, making a commitment to hiring, training, and accommodating people with all abilities.
"PRIDE Industries is honored to participate in National Disability Employment Awareness Month and to celebrate the contributions of our employees with disabilities," said Jeff Dern, President and CEO of PRIDE Industries. "NDEAM's theme this year, 'Advancing Access and Equity', is a vital one, as workers with disabilities are often left out of conversations about workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion."
PRIDE Industries was founded in 1966. Since then, the organization has been creating opportunities for people with disabilities to succeed in the workforce.
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Outside of the new job fair, PRIDE Industries offers a free bilingual I AM ABLE Employment Helpline, too. The helpline was launched in 2021, providing English and Spanish services. So far, the helpline has assisted more than 3,800 people in California in their journey toward employment.
People can call (844) I-AM-ABLE or (844) 426-2253 to learn about job resources available for people with disabilities as well as military veterans and former foster youth in the Placer, Sacramento and San Diego County areas.
PRIDE Industries also provides a Youth Employment Services (YES!) program to help hundreds of people with disabilities, aged 16-24. That includes providing services to people who have spent time in the child welfare, juvenile justice, or criminal legal systems. The program is also geared towards helping those who are unhoused, live in concentrated poverty and face other barriers to employment in Sacramento and Placer counties.
"We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to work and contribute to their fullest potential," said Dern. "We support over 3,500 people with disabilities in their employment journey throughout the country. Every day, our operational success across multiple lines of business proves that people with disabilities provide tremendous value to all types of organizations. We show company leaders that if we can do it, so can they."
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