[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 18 (Thursday, February 12, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E182]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         COMMENDATION OF THE JAVITS-WAGER-O'DAY (JWOD) PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. DENISE L. MAJETTE

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 11, 2004

  Ms. MAJETTE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to share with my colleagues a 
startling statistic--the 50 percent unemployment rate of people with 
disabilities in America. For those with severe disabilities, the number 
is even more--it is 70 percent. People with disabilities face many 
barriers to employment, including everything from transportation to 
contending with the prevailing attitude surrounding the disabled, but 
many of them want to work. They want the opportunity.
  All too often, people focus on the disability of a person, not the 
ability. But people with disabilities want to work, and can work. It's 
up to us to recognize the potential of all Americans and provide the 
opportunities needed to reverse this statistic and to allow people with 
disabilities to become self-sufficient, independent, tax-paying 
citizens.
  To that end, I am proud to support employment opportunities for 
people with disabilities, particularly through the Javits-Wagner-O'Day 
(JWOD) Program. The JWOD Program uses the purchasing power of the 
Federal Government to buy products and services from participating, 
community-based nonprofit agencies dedicated to training and employing 
individuals with disabilities. The JWOD Program provides people who are 
blind or who have other severe disabilities the opportunity to acquire 
job skills and training, receive good wages and benefits and gain 
greater independence and quality of life. Through the JWOD Program, 
people with disabilities enjoy full participation in their community 
and can market their JWOD-learned skills into other public and private 
sector jobs.
  In the United States, the program serves 40,000 people in the 
disability community and generated approximately $280 million in wages 
earned and nearly $1.5 billion in products sold. In Georgia alone, some 
972 people with disabilities earned nearly $3 million in wages last 
year as a result of JWOD. 972 lives were changed. For many out of that 
972, it was the first time they had a job, drew a paycheck, had the 
experience of being independent. These are things many of us take for 
granted, but for some--particularly people with disabilities--it means 
the world.
  It is with great pleasure that I recognize the great contributions of 
American workers with disabilities and I encourage others to do so on 
February 26th, which is National Disability Day. More importantly, let 
us all remember everyday that everyone has an ability--everyone has 
something to share for the greater good. America truly works best when 
all Americans work. I commend the JWOD Program, its supporters, and its 
participants for making a difference where it is needed most.

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