Rotary International Promotes Employment of Disabled Persons
Rotary International president Frank Devlyn has made helping disabled people to achieve self sufficiency through employment a top priority for 2000-2001. Noting that some 500 million people globally have disabilities, 80 percent of whom live in less devel o ped countries, Devlyn has urged the some 29,000 Rotarian clubs worldwide to promote awareness of the needs and talents of people with disabilities and to assist them in receiving training and finding livelihoods that will, as he says, "give them the digni ty they deserve."
To this end, Devlyn appointed a 72-member Jobs for Disabled Persons task force with the charge of initiating activities in at least 1,000 Rotary clubs aimed at eliminating barriers to employment for people with disabilities and working wi th employers, vocational training organziations, and public social service agencies to create at least one-half millions job opportunities by 2002.
A set of suggested activities for local Rotary clubs include:
-
holding a roundtable discussion to gauge members' knowledge and attitudes about disabilities issues, asking questions such as how many members currently employ people with disabilities, and what factors go into making such hiring decisions;
-
having a short talk by a representative of a vocational services agency on the scope of partnership opportunities available to the club;
-
providing funding for vocational rehabilitation facilities, equipment and training materials;
-
sponsoring local educational programs on disabilities and the workplace;
-
sharing club members' professional and business expertise through mentoring programs or job-site training sessions;
-
undertaking a vocational rehabilitation project in partnership with a Rotary club in another country;
-
scheduling a talk by an expert on the legal rights of people with disabilities under local, state and federal laws;
-
assisting people with disabilities in identifying potential employers and preparing for job interviews;
-
supporting programs that provide necessary medical equipment to people with disabilities, or that focus on the detection, prevention and treatment of disabilities;
-
paying for surgery or other corrective treatments for people who cannot afford it on their own;
-
donating medical equipment, devices and aids to help people with disabilities in less developed countries; and
-
sponsoring a person with disabilities as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar or Group Study Exchange team member.
These recommendations and suggestions, plus complete information about the task force and how to contact the its members are available online at www.frankdevlyn.org, which is linked to the Rotary site, www.rotary.org.
Rotary clubs are community-based organizations of bu siness and professional men and women who provide humanitarian service. Rotary International consists of more than 29,000 Rotary clubs in over 160 countries worldwide and has a membership of approximately 1.2 million.
Rotary International's involvement in disability issues goes back to 1920 when its members founded the Ohio Society for Crippled Children. In 1922, this became the International Society for Crippled Children, and from it evolved two major organizations that are very active today--Easter Seal s and Rehabilitation International.
|
