LANSING — The House of Representatives voted today to adopt state Rep. Tim Sneller’s (D-Burton) House Resolution 406 to declare October 2018 as Disability Employment Awareness Month in the state of Michigan. The resolution raises awareness about disability employment issues and celebrates the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. In Michigan, only about 19 percent of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are employed. 

“Every person should have the opportunity to pursue the American Dream; to earn a strong paycheck to sustain themselves and contribute to their families, and to have a job where their rich contributions are recognized and valued,” said Rep. Sneller. “By promoting employment opportunities for all Michiganders with disabilities and engaging businesses to value the contributions that employees with disabilities bring to their organization, we can enhance the employment landscape in Michigan for the better.”

It has been more than 70 years since Congress designated a week in October to honor National Disability Employment Awareness week, and in that time the recognition has culminated into a month-long awareness. This year’s theme for the month is “America’s Workforce: Empowering All.” Rep. Sneller has introduced a resolution to recognize the critical contributions of people with disabilities in the workplace every year since being elected.

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