Thinkdifferently About Disability Employment Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1634, the ThinkDIFFERENTLY About Disability Employment Act.

Although we have made considerable progress on bringing people with disabilities into the workforce, the numbers reveal how far we still have to go. Only 23 percent of the over 44 million individuals living with a disability are employed. This is not because they lack the skills or the willingness to work, but often because they face persistent structural barriers, such as discrimination, limited flexibility in the workplace, and inadequate transportation options, among others.

While small firms employ half the private-sector workforce, they may face challenges of their own, such as outdated infrastructure or uncertainty about accommodations. Helping small firms hire people with disabilities can directly benefit their company and in turn boost the overall economy.

This bipartisan bill requires that SBA collaborate with the National Council on Disability to help employers hire more people with disabilities and provide much needed support to these entrepreneurs.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Stauber, Ms. Simon, Mr. Alford, and Mr. Pappas for their bipartisan collaboration on this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. McGARVEY. Simon).

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues: Mr. Stauber, for sharing his story, for acting on behalf of his son and so many Americans with disabilities; Ms. Simon for her passion and her work in this area; and Mr. Alford and Mr. Pappas for their bipartisan work on improving entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Every individual, no matter their disability, deserves a shot at participating in our economy and getting that shot at the American Dream. Whether it is getting a job in a local small business or launching their own startup, this bill directs the SBA and the National Council on Disability to collaborate on ways to help individuals with disabilities do just that.

By passing this bill, we can start clearing the structural barriers faced by people with disabilities, while growing the economy and helping small business owners.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1634, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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