Staff with disabilities ‘critical’ & ‘essential’ to Covid-19 response

People with disabilities have been ‘critical’ and ‘essential’ to the US pandemic response, confirmed non-profit SourceAmerica. They have been keeping the economy moving since Covid-19 hit the nation. 

“For the last 12 months, this segment of the workforce has consistently stepped up and demonstrated its dedication and commitment,” stated SourceAmerica Interim President and CEO Richard Belden. “The work of people with disabilities during this unprecedented time solidifies the fact that they are always essential.”

SourceAmerica connects government and corporate customers to a national network of approximately 700 nonprofit agencies that hire a talented people with disabilities. It also administers the AbilityOne Program, which has supported pandemic response efforts throughout the last year; providing important products and services to federal and commercial customers. In fact, the AbilityOne Program is one of the largest sources of employment for people who are blind or have significant disabilities, with nearly 45,000 employees nationwide

KEY TO RECOVERY EFFORT

Non-profits in the SourceAmerica network have overcome challenges and become a remarkable part of the nation’s recovery, confirmed the organisation. Many organisations shifted operations to support the Covid-19 response effort. For example:

• ReadyOne Industries in El Paso in Texas pivoted from making military uniforms to manufacturing personal protective equipment for the military. 
• Employees from Virginia-based VersAbility Resources and California-based PRIDE Industries loaded provisions onto two US Navy hospital ships. People with disabilities stocked the USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy for their missions to alleviate overflow Covid-19 patients in New York and Los Angeles. 
• Illinois-based non-profit agency Challenge Unlimited increased frequencies of “touch-point cleaning” to improve safety at customer locations. 
• Despite the pandemic, Minneapolis-based MDI employees continued to package and deliver mail nationwide.
• Palmetto Goodwill in Charleston, South Carolina provided essential janitorial and custodial services that enabled vital work to continue during the pandemic. 

VITAL WORKFORCE CONTRIBUTIONS

As the US finds a new normal, agencies in the non-profit network and the disability community is continuing to adapt and demonstrate their vital contributions to the US workforce. Since the pandemic hit, SourceAmerica has supported its network through the following ways:

• The AbilityOne Employee Emergency Assistance Grant supports employees unable to work due to pandemic-related work stoppages. 
• The organisation’s Economic Impact Payment Assistance Grant assists employees with disabilities who are deemed ineligible for automatic financial support under the CARES Act with tax resources. 
• The Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Grant allows network agencies to obtain PPE; a critical resource for people with disabilities and the organisations employing them. 
• SourceAmerica’s Business and Technical Support team provided industry resources and best practice information in the fields of custodial, laundry, total facility management and healthcare environmental services. 
• Thousands of people from network non-profit agencies participated in SourceAmerica training classes they shifted their existing production lines and supply chain logistics to PPE; and retraining became a necessity. 

Established in 1974, SourceAmerica is committed to increasing economic and social inclusion and advocating for a more accessible future of work for people with differing abilities. It’s the leading job creator within the disability community and distinguished as an AbilityOne authorised enterprise in the US. To learn more, visit SourceAmerica.org.