Enable America Praises ADA Anniversary, Charts Course for the Future

Washington, DC, July 25, 2010 --(PR.com)-- On this 20th anniversary of the ADA, the American’s with Disabilities Act of 1990, Enable America is praising the work by all in furthering the rights of people with disabilities, while calling for new action that will be necessary to advance those rights in the years ahead.

Enable America is a non-profit organization devoted to empowering people with disabilities to achieve independence through employment. Its founder and CEO, Richard Salem, personally understands that challenge, having lost his sight when he was a teenager.

“The ADA represents an historic civil rights achievement, and we have much to be proud of as we look back at what we have accomplished over the past two decades,” Salem said. “At the same time, we must not rest on the past, when so much work remains. The unemployment rate among people with disabilities remains much too high when compared to the overall jobless rate. This anniversary is a time for celebration, as well as an inspiration for all of us to recommit our efforts to the work at hand.”

The ADA represents the world's first comprehensive declaration of equality for people with disabilities. On July 26, 1990, President George Bush said, “With today's signing of the landmark Americans for Disabilities Act, every man, woman, and child with a disability can now pass through once-closed doors into a bright new era of equality, independence, and freedom.”

Enable America is committed to ensuring those rights are protected. Through its research and outreach across the nation, it discovered millions of Americans with disabilities with employable skills, who want to work, but often face additional barriers to finding jobs. As a result, Enable America has committed its efforts to improving employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

“People with disabilities want what all of us want, an opportunity to pursue the American Dream,” Salem said. “Through employment, we not only achieve that, we strengthen our economy by adding to the diversity of skills and talents that people with disabilities bring to the workforce. What we advocate is not charity, it is simply good business, necessary for a vibrant economy.”

Among the many programs Enable America offers in this field is an on-the-job employee mentoring program. Enable America matches mentors from local companies with “mentees” from the community, people with disabilities or wounded veterans who often have difficulty finding work. While the experience helps those people become more employable, there is also value to the companies in building workforce diversity.

Through such work Enable America has been honored, most recently winning the 2010 Non-Profit Achiever Award by The Corporate Achievers for Individuals with Disabilities (CAAID).

“This anniversary gives us an occasion to fully understand what we can achieve, when together we are committed to a mutual and worthy goal,” said Steve LaBour, Executive Director of Enable America. “It is time for reflection and appreciation, as we focus on the work we will do and the goals we have set for the next 20 years.”

More information on Enable America can be found at the organization’s web site, Enable America.org.

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About Enable America: Enable America was established in 2002 by attorney Richard Salem as a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people with disabilities find employment and live independently. The organization’s Community Connections, Business Connections, and VetConnect programs unite members of the disability community and business community to raise awareness and increase employment opportunities for the 54 million Americans with disabilities, including our nation’s wounded warriors.