Across America, business leaders are asking the same question: Where can we find the talent we need? Companies talk about labor shortages, skills gaps and competition for qualified workers. Yet at the same time, millions of Americans remain overlooked because employers continue to make assumptions about what they can and cannot do.
One of the largest untapped talent pools in our economy is people with disabilities. I know what it feels like to be overlooked. I grew up on a dairy farm in California and was diagnosed with epilepsy after years of unexplained seizures.
The condition affected more than my health. It closed doors before I ever had the opportunity to prove myself. I was denied entry into the priesthood.
Job applications asked whether I had epilepsy. I answered honestly and never received an interview. Those experiences taught me a lesson that would later shape my work in Congress and help inspire the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act: the greatest barriers are often not physical barriers.
More than three decades after the ADA became law, those assumptions continue to limit opportunity. Employers may not openly discriminate, but many still view disability through the lens of risk. They worry that an employee will be less productive, require costly accommodations, or present management challenges.
Too often, those judgments are made before a candidate ever has the chance to demonstrate their abilities. That is not simply a civil rights problem. Some of the most innovative, adaptable, and resilient people I have met are individuals who have spent their lives navigating environments that were not designed with them in mind.
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