It’s hard to imagine with 8.8% unemployment that America will soon be facing a worker shortage as 77 million baby boomers begin retiring. Many businesses already face a skills shortage, unable to find qualified workers for positions that are open. There is a great untapped resource, however, to which these businesses can turn—individuals with disabilities.

Unfortunately, too many employers are not aware of the pool of qualified workers with disabilities, do not know how to reach them, and are concerned about the perceived costs and challenges of providing accommodations.The U.S. Chamber and the Business Leadership Network, now called USBLN, hosted a conference last week to highlight employer best practices in hiring and accommodating workers with disabilities.

USBLN is a national organization that helps build workplaces where people with disabilities are respected for their talents. I was honored to chair this organization in the 1990s. At the event, many companies shared their success stories about employing and advancing people with disabilities, marketing to consumers with disabilities, and contracting with companies owned by people with disabilities to the benefit of their bottom lines.These and other employers know that employees with disabilities are generally dependable, dedicated, hardworking, and productive. Companies that take a lead in hiring people with disabilities are positioning themselves for success when worker and skills shortages will make diversity and inclusion programs a necessity rather than a choice.

Keynote speaker Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) said that since the start of the recession adults with disabilities are leaving the labor force at greater than 10 times the rate of adults without disabilities. He urged the business community to increase the number of Americans with disabilities in the workforce from 4.9 million today to 6 million in 2015.To meet that goal, we need to increase education and awareness, removing stereotypes and misperceptions about people with disabilities. Groups like USBLN, with its 60 affiliates representing 5,000 employers nationwide, are changing attitudes every day.We also need to make certain that laws and regulations are conducive to inclusive hiring practices.

The Americans with Disabilities Act has always enjoyed broad bipartisan support, and we are particularly proud of the role that the business community played in 2008 when Congress passed amendments to ensure that people with disabilities have a fair chance to excel in the workplace and clarified the obligations and requirements of employers.

Let’s see if we can not only meet—but exceed—Sen. Harkin’s challenge. It’s a good thing to do, and it’s good for business.

CIL Serbia wants to share with all of you our joy as we have achieved something for which we fought for 10 years! We started our advocacy activities related to personal assistance service in year 2000 and since then we were promoting the idea through few action-research projects.

Our main goal was to make legislative changes that would include this service in Law for social protection, as one of the regular services funded by government. Since then in Serbia, four governments have been changed, and we were in most of the cases starting our fight all over again. At the same time we were organizing personal assistance service for limited number of users in Serbia, through different projects, of which the most important one was supported by the Irish Government for four years, showing in practice what quality changes in disabled persons life, provision of PA service could make.

Eventually, new Law for social protection was adopted by Serbian Parliament on 31 March 2011. in which PA service is included in group of services for disabled persons providing conditions for independent living. So after 10 years we have achieved our main goal!!!We would of course have to guard the principles of the service and quality standards, because as many of you know, the term “personal assistance” could be often interpreted differently. However, at the moment we celebrate this great CIL’s achievement, sending many thanks to all of you who have supported us in this fight for years.

Serbian Alliance of Teachers, Center for Interaktive Pedagogy, Center for Educational Policy and Fund for Open Society in cooperation with Ministry for Education lauches the campaign „Everyone go to school, it is a future for all“.

Tribune is dedicated to promotion of education accessible to all and preparation the basis for inclusive education in accordance with the Law on Education in serbia from  2009.

Ideal society is the one where any person could realise its capacities and live its life with dignity. Inclusive education is precondition for development of inclusive society, based on tolerancy, understanding, respect, open mind and acceptance. 

Uzice is one of 100 Serbian cities which will host campaign „Everyone go to school, future for everyone!“ from February until May 2011. T

he aim of the campaign is to realise qualitative inclusive culture and practice for all girls and boys through:

·         awareness rising at professional and global population on importance of inclusion

·         support to all students in educational process

·         support to Law on Education from 2009. 

There will be one  tribune organised as well as media coverage as additional support to this campaign.

This campaign will realise Union of Serbian teachers,  Center for Interaktive Pedagogy and Center for Educational Policy with financial support of Fund for Open Society and project team from DILS in Ministry for Education.

(New York) December 30, 2010 — The European Union’s ratification of the major international treaty on disability rights is a significant milestone in the global effort to promote the rights of people with disabilities, Human Rights Watch said today. The EU officially joined the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on December 23, 2010, becoming the first intergovernmental organization to sign on to any human rights treaty and take on its binding obligations.

Human Rights Watch Press release