[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 122 (Wednesday, September 12, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1488]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF ENABLE AMERICA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. C. W. BILL YOUNG

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 12, 2012

  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 
10th Anniversary of Enable America, a first of its kind organization 
entirely dedicated to reducing unemployment among people with 
disabilities. This organization has assisted countless people with 
disabilities in finding a job and the belief that ``good things happen 
when people have jobs'' underpins their efforts.
  Enable America was founded by Richard Salem, a man intimately 
familiar with the disabled community. After losing his eyesight as a 
teenager, Richard's parents were the main drivers behind his continued 
inclusion in the public high school system, which later allowed him to 
graduate cum laude from Belmont Abbey College. In pursuing a law 
degree, he was the first blind student to attend Duke Law School, 
graduating with distinction in 1972. Now, 40 years later, Richard is 
not only a successful lawyer, as the founding partner of the Tampa-
based Salem Law group, he is also a tireless advocate for those living 
with disabilities and life-changing diseases.
  Knowing that the support he received was one of the keys to his 
success, Richard founded Enable America in 2002 as a nonprofit 
organization that is focused on increasing employment among the 54 
million Americans with disabilities, including wounded warriors and 
disabled veterans. With more than 70 percent of adults with 
disabilities wanting to work so that they can live independently, the 
programs that Enable America has developed helps them to achieve this 
goal. Enable America's committed staff knows that having a job gives 
people ``self-esteem, independence and pride. They have a place in the 
community and are able to grow and become their own person.''
  In assisting people with disabilities to find a job, Enable America 
directly confronts the misinformation or misunderstandings about the 
disabled community, which often hinders people with disabilities from 
finding employment. Enable America's two-pronged approach was developed 
specifically to help connect the disabled community with the business 
community. First, they host Community Connection Meetings across the 
nation, which assist with the creation of a national information-
sharing network comprised of local community task forces devoted to 
eliminating the barriers to employment for disabled individuals. 
Second, Enable America hosts a series of meetings with business 
leaders, managers, resource professionals and speakers to encourage 
prospective employers to hire disabled job seekers by demonstrating the 
many benefits of hiring disabled employees and by answering questions 
that businesses may have about issues such as personnel policies, taxes 
and insurance.
  Beyond connecting people with disabilities with business leaders, 
Enable America also provides disability employee mentoring. This 
program provides people with disabilities with real-world experience in 
the workplace by matching mentees with business mentors that are 
looking to improve diversity and increase employment opportunities. 
Today, I have the privilege to host one of these mentees in my 
Washington, D.C. office. William ``Bill'' Rockwood, who is currently 
pursuing a law degree at Georgetown, does not allow his learning 
disability to stop him from embracing new experiences and taking 
advantage of opportunities when they come along. Programs like Enable 
America, which offered Bill a unique mentoring opportunity, not only 
provide an irreplaceable experience for the mentees, but also afford 
mentors an impactful look at the contributions they can make in any 
work environment.
  Finally, Enable America assists our wounded warriors as they return 
to active duty or civilian life. These brave men and women who have 
served our country in combat deserve all the assistance that we can 
provide. Military service members, past and present, possess a great 
sense of honor and traits any employer would find valuable--duty, 
commitment, and loyalty. Enable America honors their service and 
sacrifice by showing businesses that investing in our nation's veterans 
and honoring their service to our nation is not charity, but a smart 
decision.
  Mr. Speaker, as you can see this organization is truly making a 
difference in the lives of those living with disabilities. I ask my 
colleagues to join with me today in recognizing this important 
milestone and to wish Enable America continued success in the future.

                          ____________________