Ariel Lynn Guidry
November 11, 2008
Southern Smith
November 13, 2008
There’s a relatively untapped market of willing workers that often goes ignored in the Tri-parishes … but Work Pays is seeking to change that.
Work Pays is comprised of several agencies working together to increase employment opportunities for disabled workers. It includes Louisiana Medicaid, Louisiana Rehabilitation Services and the Louisiana Disability Program Navigator.
The Houma Indian Nation was the most recent to join the fight.
In October, the fifth annual job fair united disabled workers and willing employers at the Evergreen Cajun Center. But convincing employers of the value disabled workers offer their companies is a year-round job in itself, according to Paula Kramer, a Louisiana Medicaid worker.
“Too many times, disabled workers are overlooked by people with non-disabilities and we are here to put a stop to it,” she said.
Louisiana is home to more than 264,000 disabled citizens who are of working age – 16 to 24. Of that, nearly 5,000 reside in the Tri-parishes.
Sadly, many of them are living below poverty level because they do not have employment, Kramer said. To survive, disabled residents often have to rely on various government assistance programs, she explained.
The Ticket to Work and Work Incentive Improvement Act passed by the state Legislature in 1999 was intended to change that trend. The law targets those receiving government aid, including disabled citizens. It is designed to help people receiving assistance transition to independence.
Ticket to Work allows people to work while receiving assistance benefits while working to attain autonomy.
Kramer said federal law grants disabled citizens certain rights and responsibilities. Likewise, it prevents businesses from discriminating against hiring an applicant because of a disability.
Employers that hire disabled citizens have to make proper accommodations for them in accordance with the law.
But the payoff for employers making such hires, however, is enormous, Kramer said. The often-ignored potential hires offer an added skill set and, unlike some workers, are willing to do the job.
Businesses often report an increase in their customer base because the public likes to see employers are open-minded to hiring those with disabilities, according to Work Pays.
“It’s a win-win because employers gain a reliable workforce and people with disabilities are able to live independently and gain a sense of self-worth by receiving a salary,” Kramer said.
Finding reliable staffers is crucial to Books-A-Million general manager Laura Basey. Since taking over the Houma store in May, she has had a difficult time keeping the store staffed.
“The people really didn’t care about the store,” she said.
Basey was one of the first employers to make a job offer at October’s fair. The qualifications to work at the bookstore are simple: Hires have to be 18 years or older and have a clean criminal history.
At Books-A-Million, an employee with a disability are booksellers – an entry-level associate. That person is responsible for manning the cash registers and assisting of customers with searching for books.
Basey said on average she pays $6.55 an hour, which is slightly above minimum wage.
For Joie Robichaux, assistant manager at CiCi’s Pizza in Houma, the plight of disabled workers hits closer to home. Her son, Devin, 17, has a learning disability.
When he reached working age, Devin began pounding the pavement looking for work. Opportunities, however, were few, Robichaux said.
“When most disabled people walk into a place seeking employment, employers tend to overlook them because they have shortcomings,” she said. “But that’s not fair. Everyone deserves the right to prove that they can do a job.”
Devin finally found work at CiCi’s Pizza.
“My boss was willing to overlook his shortcomings and hire him under my supervision,” Robichaux said.
Beginning pay at CiCi’s is $6.75, she said. The work ranges from running the cash register to cooking, prepping food and busing tables.
Devin admits it has been challenging adjusting to the working world, especially “learning the difficult stuff and not being able to grasp it as fast as the others.” But he has risen to the challenge and, according to his mother, recently got a raise.
“He is improving every day,” Joie Robichaux said proudly. “He can do normal work detail just like every other employee.”
In addition to drawing a regular paycheck, Devin said he enjoys meeting new people and learning new tasks. He is the first to argue that disabled people deserve the chance to prove they can succeed on the job.
Based on Devin’s performance, CiCi’s manager Amber Meredith agrees.
“Devin is a joy to work with. We call him the ‘D-Man’,” she said. “The kids enjoy seeing him when they come in and he enjoys them too.”
Devin Robichaux’s learning disability made it tough to find employment. He got a break at CiCi’s Pizza on Martin Luther King Boulevard in Houma. There are approximately 5,000 disabled workers in the Tri-parish area. * Photo by SOPHIA RUFFIN
