Working to unite

By Marisa Geitner, president and C.E.O.

Humans are complex – and that means not everything is an easy fix.

For more than 30 years we’ve supported people with developmental disabilities by providing support that encourages people to learn and grow and give back to their community. And still, when we look at the statistics, we see that the unemployment rate for people with a disability is more than double the rate for those without.

We see that only 5 percent of Americans know what it is like to have a coworker who has an intellectual disability and that Rochester ranks No. 1 in the nation for the percentage of people who live in poverty and have a disability.

So, if we truly mean to partner with people who have disabilities so they can accomplish what matters most in their lives, we must also commit to joining other people and agencies in fighting poverty and other inequalities. And one way we do that is by working one-on-one with people to find a right-fit job because when people share their strengths in the workplace, they are valued by their co-workers. They form relationships. They gain confidence, and they bring home a paycheck.

They make progress for themselves and for others.

In fact, the United Nations Economic and Social Council “recognizes that poverty eradication and employment in decent jobs are crucial to achieving social integration and a society for all.”

That’s why we started the Employment Alliance to help match employers with talented people who have disabilities and that’s why we participated in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle’s Unite Rochester Challenge – because we want to offer career services to others who are  marginalized, too.

We recognize that uniting Rochester across racial and economic lines is complex, but paychecks help more than our bank accounts. They help in creating a more equal society.