RAEN Helps People With Disabilities Find Work

Laura Maas and Maura Denning joined Katrina Irwin on News 8 at Noon Tuesday.  They talked about the Rochester Area Employment Network.  RAEN is a not for profit consortium of agencies that assist individuals with disabilities to enter or re-enter the workforce.

RAEN works with individuals with all types of disabilities (physical, mental, emotional) and all skill levels from entry level to those who have advanced degrees.  The jobs are competitive, community based jobs, not sheltered workshops.

Every October, Rochester Area Employment Network, Inc. provides an annual recognition event, designated Disabilities Awareness Month, recognizing the area employers, rehabilitation workers and individuals working to advance the promotion of employment of individuals with disabilities.

RAEN also provides professional development opportunities in a variety of areas to both businesses and individuals. We provide these training's at employer work sites or community locations to best suit the needs of the training participants. Professional development opportunities may include, but are not limited to, disability etiquette, compliance with issues related to the Americans with Disabilities Act, market trends, advocacy, accommodations and barriers to employment.

General Disability Employment Information:

*There are 54 million people with disabilities in the United States that want to work but can't find a job. People with disabilities represent the largest and fastest growing minority in America.

*The working-age population of New York State is 12,664,000. Out of this group, 1,402,000 report having one or more disabilities. That is 11.1% of people in New York State reporting having a disability.

* Accommodations cost less than you think: The Job Accommodation Network (JAN), an international information and consulting resource for accommodating persons with disabilities in the workplace report: 31% of accommodations cost nothing, 19% cost between $1 and $50 and 80% cost under $500. The ADA has resulted in a surprisingly small number of lawsuits - only about 650 nationwide in 5 years.

* There are financial incentives and services and tax credits available through ACCES-VR for each individual you hire which off-sets the cost of hiring and training.

For more information, click here.