MEDIA TOOLKIT:The “how-to” guide for activists who

want to get media coverage to empower people with disabilities to achieve the

American dream

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE AMERICAN DREAM AND WHY MEDIA MATTERS 4

WHAT’S YOUR STORY: FINDING THE MEDIA ANGLE 6

K.I.S.S.-- KEEP IT SHORT AND SIMPLE: A WINNING MESSAGE STRATEGY 8

THE HARD QUESTIONS (AND ANSWERS) 10

CREATING A PRESS LIST 13

WRITING A GOOD PRESS RELEASE 15

WRITING A GOOD OP-ED 17

HOW TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR 19

HOW TO HOLD A SUCCESSFUL PRESS CONFERENCE 20

APPENDIX A: SAMPLE PRESS RELEASES 22

APPENDIX B: SAMPLE OPEDS 29

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THE AMERICAN DREAM: IT’S FOR ALL OF US

Changing the images of people with disabilities in the media is a key part of enabling people with disabilities (PWDs) to achieve the American dream. This core “dream” has been fundamental to our nation and our people since the Declaration of Independence, which said, “All men are created equal;” meaning they should have equal opportunity. But the sad fact is that 70% of working-age people with disabilities in America are not working. This leads to poverty, powerlessness and prison. So how can we, who care about people with disabilities, work with the media to change that? This guide will give you step by step insights that can help you get winning media.

Back in the old days, people with disabilities didn’t have access to quality education. Now, thankfully, with better access to education and technology some of the smartest and most productive people on earth are people with disabilities. Think of Stephen Hawking. Fifty years ago he wouldn’t have been able to communicate. Today he is unlocking the secrets of the universe. People with a broad range of disabilities are making positive contributions to making America better. It’s time for the media to change how they portray PWDs.

America needs every person who can and wants to work to do so. Think about it – we have 10 million Americans with disabilities, most of whom want to work, ready to get off the sidelines and help make American companies stronger. When more people earn paychecks, the economy improves and we save tax money. People with disabilities want to and can contribute to the economy – and your media efforts can help make that a reality!

MEDIA MATTERS

Leaders and activists who care about people with disabilities (PWDs) should communicate about these issues to the media. The media (both the news media and Hollywood) is the lens through which Americans see people with disabilities. The Cosby Show and Oprah broke historic ground for race relations in our nation. All of a sudden African Americans were in the living rooms of white Americans – and they became like welcomed family members. The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Will and Grace, and Modern Family caused tremendous change for LGBT issues. Public opinion shifted so quickly that elected officials and courts are practically falling over one another to change their views.

As disability leaders or activists, our goal with the media is to have them show people with disabilities for the talents and benefits that they bring to employers. To do this, you need a local hero who can be showcased in the media – a company or organization that has been more successful because of their inclusive hiring processes. It needs to be a win-win pro-business/pro-employer story. It should also make the employer so proud of being associated with hiring people with disabilities that they will want to send it to their clients. That, in turn, can help inspire more employers to hire employees with disabilities.

This toolkit will provide you with real, practical steps to successfully reach out to the media and make a measurable impact.

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WHAT’S YOUR STORY?

Before you go out to the media you need to know the story you are selling. We want to focus on positive employment. Again, you need a “hero” which is a well-respected, honest local employer who is more successful because they hire people with disabilities. And you need at least one employee from that company or organization who is very productive and reliable in that job and who is willing to be profiled in media stories.

You will be tempted to make the story a human interest piece, about how a job socially benefits a person with a disability who now has their own apartment, more friends and maybe even a spouse. You can touch on that a little. But if you make the story about the employee, and not the employer, you risk it being a “pity story” or “charity story”. What we want to focus on is the better bottom line for the company. You want to show how having more loyal and good employees how the employer might be better at serving their customers, or perhaps able to expand to add more jobs in the community.

What would media success look like? We want stories that show local employers who are making more money or having more success because their employee(s) with disabilities are bringing real talent and loyalty to the table. We want to effect long-term change via employment.

Possibly the best national story on this topic just came from CNBC’s POWER LUNCH. Watch it carefully and imagine it with a local employer and expert on disability employment. We want it in the largest paper, business publication (i.e. Chamber of commerce newsletter) and TV news channel. See:

● http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/? play=1&video=3000193204#eyJ2aWQiOiIzMDAwMTkzMjA0IiwiZW5jVmlkIjoiencvNHJ2ekFnRk9zby96QXI2TWordz09IiwidlRhYiI6InRyYW5zY3JpcHQiLCJ2UGFnZSI6IiIsImdOYXYiOlsiwqBMYXRlc3QgVmlkZW8iXSwiZ1NlY3QiOiJBTEwiLCJnUGFnZSI6IjEiLCJzeW0iOiIiLCJzZ

If you have a Walgreen’s distribution center in your local area, it could be that because inclusive hiring is a part of the Walgreen strategy to make more money. They found that employees with disabilities are more productive, less likely to quit (thus fewer hiring and training costs in the long term) and that they are great for the moral and productivity of their employees who don’t have disabilities. You can find a lot of information about this program here: http://www.walgreens.com/topic/sr/disability_inclusion_home.jsp

To find your local media hero you should look and see if there are local awards given out to employers who hire people with disabilities. If you don’t have such awards locally, you can start one. That way you can collect great stories and also recognize real success stories. The giving out of such an award can be a news hook.

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Keep in mind, however, that most reporters will not find an awards ceremony to be news worthy. You want to bring a newspaper reporter to the actual work site so they can interview both the employer and the employee at the same time at the site and also take photos there. TV reporters might also come to the site, but more likely they will expect the employer, employee with a disability and yourself, as the disability leader, to come to their studio. Generally the disability leader or their PR person will tee up the story but not be on air, it depends on the piece.

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K.I.S.S.-- KEEP IT SHORT AND SIMPLE

A core part of your media strategy should be K.I.S.S. – Keep It Short and Simple. Use this message triangle on the 3 points that you want to get into every news story on this topic. These are the mega messages. They are not meant to be a script, imagine them as topic sentences or buckets. Fill them up with more information and anecdotes to back them up. Make them your own.

The most important audience for good press are people that make hiring decisions. So go for media outlets or reporters who have an audience of people who make the top hiring decisions. For example, reach out to the business reporter at your local paper or TV station. Keep in mind that this audience wants to hear that hiring PWDs will make them money, and help save on taxes. Thus, no matter the question, try to bridge back to a core message triangle. For example, let’s try the message triangle with another kind of wording:

1. Most Americans with disabilities (insert instead the name of your state or city instead the word America) want to work. Companies like Walgreens (or insert the name of the company that you have identified as your local hero) are more profitable because they DO hire people with disabilities. People with disabilities also have talents – and they are very loyal employees — saving training and turnover costs.

2. At (insert name of your company that is the local hero you are using as an example) we have been at the cutting edge of (insert the field they work in). Years ago Stephen Hawking wouldn’t have been able to communicate. Now he is unlocking the secrets of the universe. Harnessing talents of people like Steven Hawking and many people with other kinds of disabilities is great for the corporate bottom line. Here at (insert name of local hero employer) we have the employee (insert the name of an employee working at that place who loves their job, is good at it and is willing to be in the media). He/she is outstanding at his/her job. He/she does (insert what this employee does so very well that it is a real asset to the company)

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3. If we are going to be competitive with countries like China, more American companies need understand that a secret weapon for economic competitiveness is harnessing the talents of everyone. Currently, 70% of working age Americans with disabilities simply aren't working — and disability payments are costing taxpayers . There are 10 million Americans who want to the opportunity to achieve the American dream —a real job at a real wage. We want the numbers to add up to a better future for our nation. 

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THE HARD QUESTIONS (AND ANSWERS)

Be ready for big questions and know the answers. It helps to get a co-worker, friend or family member to help you role play before you do an interview or go meet with a reporter. You can even practice with a camcorder or phone video recording so you can check and see how well you are doing.

Here are some questions you can expect, and some sample answers that give different ways at getting at the same 3 core points.

Why Should Employment for People with Disabilities Be Such a Priority for American (or your state or city name) Business?

Companies are in the business of making money – and hiring people with disabilities can make them more profitable. I know the old stereotypes. People hear the word “disability” and think of the weaknesses of a potential employee and not their strengths. But with today’s technology a blind person can function fully on Apple computers. The breakthroughs due to science, education, medicine and rehab are transformative. It’s time for companies to take advantage of these changes and to hire people with disabilities for the abilities that they DO have.

Back in the old days, people with disabilities didn’t have access to quality education. Now, thankfully, with better access to education and technology some of the smartest and most productive people are earth are people with disabilities.

In the future we will need every American worker who can work to do so. Think about it – we have 10 million Americans with disabilities, most of whom want to work, ready to get off the sidelines and help make American companies stronger.

When more people are earning paychecks, the economy improves. We can save tax money. People with disabilities can, and want to, contribute to the economy.

What can be done to get people with disabilities to work?

Here’s the good news. Most people with disabilities already want to work. But American taxpayers are investing in benefits rather than people who would rather have a hand-up than a handout. Many companies — to be ADA compliant — have implemented disability policies, but far fewer companies have actual programs in place to recruit and hire people with disabilities. That is why we need to recognize corporate leaders, like Walgreen, Manpower, EY, AMC and others (insert your local hero companies) have successfully implemented disability employment programs. Compared to a couple of years ago, we are seeing the smart companies have more inclusive workforces that provide training and reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities.

There are numerous examples where positive acceptance of people with disabilities in the workforce can make good business sense – whether you are a national retailer or a small local

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enterprise. The fact is that hiring people with disabilities can help a company make MORE money because they have learned to adapt and truly love what they do. They are loyal workers who stay on the job.

Do you consider employing people with disabilities an act of charity?

Absolutely not. People with disabilities can work and do the job just as well, if not better, than anyone else. 70% of working age Americans with disabilities simply aren't working — and they want the opportunity to return and contribute to taxpayer investment.

People with disabilities have differences, but they can do some things superbly. They also have an ability to adapt, which is a key skill in today’s ever-evolving and competitive economy. It’s a matter of aligning their interests and talents with the needs of the employer. It’s win-win for everyone.

As the baby boomers age out of the workforce there will be labor shortages. Even today there are companies that have important openings. America has talented people with disabilities that can do those jobs well.

Additionally, in many cases companies can also enhance the productivity of some highly paid employees by having employees with disabilities take tasks like scanning, data entry, stocking shelves and filing. This can help make companies more profitable while saving tax dollars that would otherwise be spent on payments to people with disabilities who frankly, in most cases, want to work. Most people with disabilities want a hand up, not a hand out.

Then why aren’t more people with disabilities hired?

Because most companies haven't figured out yet that disability hiring can be their secret weapon to making more money for themselves while helping America be stronger by harnessing the talents that we all have. There are 10 million Americans who want to the opportunity to achieve the American dream.   

When you align the interests and talents of an individual with a disability with the real needs of an employer, it’s win-win.

We have seen from companies like Walgreen and (insert name of the local hero company) that Americans with disabilities are highly productive workers because they DO have talents and are very loyal employees — saving a lot of training and turnover costs. This is great for the corporate bottom line. 

What is the monthly disability employment numbers and why is it important?

Keep in mind that most unemployment numbers don’t show the real facts about disability employment. They often don’t realize that due to a combination of discrimination and the prejudice of low expectations, many Americans with disabilities gave up the idea of working long ago. 70 percent of Americans with disabilities aren’t working. That compares to only 28

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percent of Americans without disabilities. There are 10 million working age Americans with disabilities who can be productive workers and even taxpayers. Most of them even want to work. It is time to put real resolutions on the table so that Americans with disabilities can have an opportunity to achieve the American dream.

What have you learned?

All around the country CEOs and Governors are starting to understand that this is a key part of their workforce development. This is how we cut the size of government benefit programs while helping business and creating jobs all at the same time. It’s win-win-win.

Now lets get some press.

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CREATING A PRESS LIST

An early step in doing successful media outreach is to keep in mind that you can’t get great media unless you know which outlets you want, and which reporter there has the potential to cover your story. In such efforts personal relationships can be your best tools. Do you already have friends or professional contacts at important media organizations that can cover your story or point you in the right direction to the reporter or producer who can put together your piece? If yes, start with them. If not, it is time to meet such people! Making relationships with your local media is a part of any disability leader’s job.

Media is a for-profit business; violence, sex and conflict sell papers and bring eyeballs to TV shows. A mantra at media outlets is “if it bleeds, it leads”. Another media mantra is “good news is no news”. So you have to find a reporter who will listen. This is a “man bites dog” story because it has surprise. Most readers/viewers think hiring people with disabilities will harm a company. We are proving the opposite. That’s why it’s news. It will help if you have a local celebrity in the story as we mentioned above. But you may want to still start with someone at a news organization who either has a disability or a family member with a disability because they will already know the facts – that people with disabilities can make great and profitable employees.

Your media contacts at the most important media outlets will be valuable tool. A press list starts out by identifying all relevant media outlets and organizations that can help you. The press list should include all contact information for each reporter. Do not rely on a published contact number. Dig deeper and find out who might covers our specific issues. This will be difficult as very few reporters cover disability issues. Reach out to business reporters and get it in with that angle. Or a human-interest reporter. The best stories for increasing disability employment will be stories placed in the business sections of the news because often that is what employers read first. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter so you can see what they care about.

Try to contact all the reporters by telephone as it is much more personal than an e-mail. This first introduction is one of the most important calls you will make. When you call, be upbeat and cheerful. Introduce yourself as the spokesperson for your organization, or simply as a person who cares about these issues and has a great story for them. You could say that you are a person who happens to have a disability who works at a certain company and explain that you think it is both newsworthy and interesting to do a story on your employer and how he/she is able to accomplish more for the company bottom by having employees with disabilities. Briefly, using the talking points you have created from the section above, explain why. Here are some great pieces.

● http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-02/disabled-recruited-from-walgreen-to-amc- seeking-diversity.html

● http://www.fastcompany.com/3002957/disabled-employee-amendment

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Ask if you can get together for a cup of coffee or if you can come by and introduce yourself. You are beginning to develop a relationship with the reporter and first impressions stick. Convey what your organization does and how it’s relevant to them.

Always be on time for your meetings with the press. Remember—they are busy people, and they are doing you a favor. Be very polite, smile, and ask them about how they like to receive information. Each reporter has a different style, goal, and boss—so if you can meet their needs, the chances are that they will be more ready to help you meet yours. A good personal relationship is many times the difference maker in getting written up and generating publicity for your cause.

When creating a press list leave some space under each name for notes. Record personal observations. Are they sympathetic to the cause? Are they opposed? What articles have they written on the subject and when? Do they cover stories on the national level, state or local?

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WRITING A GOOD PRESS RELEASE

Starting out, the Structure

Traditionally press releases should be one page and a maximum of two if necessary. Today, with e-mail being widely used the lines have been somewhat blurred, but the adage “the shorter the better,” always applies.

Press releases are the most common form of written communication between an organization and the media. Reporters’ in-boxes are usually stuffed with recent press releases. You have to distinguish your press release from the masses. A lot of the difference is how you construct your press release. Below are a few hints.

Structurally the headline is centered at the top of the page and written in bold letters and larger font. Under that is a smaller font, sub-head, often in italics, that elaborate the headline. This is a great place to use keywords that will channel search engines toward your site or press release when it goes online.

Before the main body of text, the style is to write the city and state of the news source followed by the date issued. At the end of the release be sure to include all contact information for the press person or someone who would be able to answer questions about the release.

Understand these are just guidelines intended to give a general understanding of how a press release should look. Examples of good press releases are on page are under Appendix A.

If the release is going out by bulk e-mail it is good to have it sent from a senior staff member. Someone who would make the recipients interested or curious as to why this person would send and open it up. If there are personal connections have those go out separately.

Creating a Press Release First of all, you don’t necessarily need a press release. If you have a big celebrity and are

doing a major press event you DO need one. But given that this story isn’t one that every reporter is rushing out to cover, you may be better off just taking a reporter from one newspaper, TV station and radio station for coffee to offer them your story exclusively for their media. If you give a reporter and exclusive they are more likely to give it more play. Still even when you are offering an exclusive you need to put the story down on paper even if it will only serve as a follow up email for you to send them after you meet.

Before you commit to writing, think your argument out. Start with an eye-catching headline followed by a strong first sentence. This is as far as many people read before making the all-important decision of whether to read further or discard. It is tough to sell, but it doesn’t have to be. Below are some helpful tips.

Get right to the point in the first paragraph. Bring the reader in and make them want to read more. Make sure the media can easily ascertain why this press release is newsworthy.

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Reporters don’t want a puff piece on an organization. Reporters are looking for a story. Give them an angle. Make it easy for them. Include something new and interesting, tie it to an upcoming event, holiday or personalize it. See Appendix A for examples.

Another example would be if your organization works specifically with children with disabilities. In a press release you could include a story of a young girl with disabilities going to middle school. Talk with her about her goals to work in the future. Take it further and interview the parents who worry, but have high aspirations for their child. Show how your program can help her be job-ready, and what it has meant for others who are alumni of the program. Now your press release has an angle a reporter could use and you have bolstered your argument. But be sure you have the parents permission before working with the child!

Quotes are effective and eye-catching way to add support to your topic. Quotes are something a reporter can work with. Be sure to include contact information and offer the reporter an opportunity to interview a subject and pictures. Now a reporter has the beginnings of a story, something they can run with.

You should always get prior approval before quoting someone unless the statement has already been published. It helps if you use a well-known person or leading expert in the field. It is not uncommon to make a good quote from someone in your organization that ties together or supports your argument. Take the release and get their approval for using this quote. That. You are literally putting words in their mouths and using it for a powerful effect.

Facts and figures, used in moderation, can play a big part in bolstering your argument in a quick manner. Chose carefully. Use the right figures to convey your argument. It is pointless, confusing and could even be detrimental to use superfluous statistics that don’t specifically support your main point.

Follow-Up

Now that you have sent out your press release it is important to follow-up with reporters. Calling is best, but if you can’t reach them send e-mail. If you get a hold of them it is a good opportunity to pitch a story idea relating to the press release. Be persistent, but not a pain. You need to keep a good rapport with reporters, as chances are you will be sending them more information at a later date. (Appendix A also includes an example of a resulting news piece)

WRITING A GOOD OP-ED

Op-Ed means opposite page from the newspapers editorials. It expresses personal views that differ from the editorials or on a topic that is important but has not been covered by the

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paper. It is the most widely viewed section of most papers and a great opportunity to get your point across to leaders and policy makers of all levels.

An Op-Ed should be between 500-700 words. Most newspapers have a certain criteria for submissions. To see the criteria for your paper google the words “op-ed submission” and the name of the publication. It should instantly show a link to all you need to know to follow their guidelines. The guidelines for the top 100 papers in the country can be found here:

● http://www.ccmc.org/sites/default/files/Top100op-eds.pdf

Along with the headline it is imperative to make the first sentence an attention grabber. You have to lure the reader in. State a surprising fact or an intriguing or controversial idea. Newspapers like to print Op-Ed’s that generate conversation. Once the hook is set the reader is more apt to finish the editorial and gain a better understanding of your point of view. Op-Ed’s have to be timely. Three days to respond to an editorial is about the limit. The earlier the better, while the issue is still fresh in readers and editors minds.

Use the message triangle on the 3 points that you want to get into every news story on this topic.

1. Americans with disabilities want to work2. Companies can be more profitable when they hire people with disabilities 3. We can save tax money and make our country stronger by including people with

disabilities in the workforce.

You can see examples of Op-Eds on disability employment in the appendix and we highly suggest for you to read them.

Track the news. There are many opportunities to use a recent or upcoming event to write a piece expressing your viewpoint. Look for opportunities to publicize your point of view. An example would be if your group is working to make a school more accessible to kids with disabilities so that they can be well equipped for jobs. The school says it just doesn’t have the money. The next day in the paper you read about the football players who are excited for the upcoming season playing in their new uniforms. A perfect time to write an op-ed asking, “Where are the schools priorities?” A newspaper would like this because it is bound to generate some heated discussions on the issue. Even if nothing comes of it, you have generated publicity for your cause. Next year, the school may be more likely fix the ramp before buying another team uniforms.

Do your research. Check and recheck your piece. Make sure everything is true and can be backed up. Nothing can deflate an entire argument more than a single inconsistency.

When writing an Op-Ed it is important to stay focused and on-topic. Make sure your piece has a theme running through it and is easy to comprehend. Because of the limited space, you have to make your points clearly and in a concise manner. Use plain language. Avoid using jargon or office speak. Don’t use unfamiliar abbreviations. Use the message points above but with your own words and local examples.

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Remember this is your opinion, defend it. You wouldn’t have written an Op-Ed if you didn’t feel strongly about an issue. Be bold in countering an argument. It is important that you not only support your main position, be sure to offer solutions to the problem.

Go big at the end. Sum up your argument and leave the reader with a memorable point or a call to action. Create a line the reader will remember.

As with other correspondences think about who should send it, who will have the most impact and then have them send it in. RespectAbilityUSA has an excellent training in how to write opeds on our website. The speaker is Jennifer Packer and you can see the powerpoint and get the audio under the “Events” section of our website.

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HOW TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Letters to the Editor are similar to Op-Ed’s, but smaller. They are usually 150-300 words. Before writing it take the time to read other published letters to the editor from the publication. Pick up on the language, tone and length, as every periodical will be different. This increases the probability of getting your letter in.

Keep it clear, simple and concise. Don’t use clichés. Try to put an interesting twist on your argument. You can be critical, but not disrespectful. Be topical; tie in your letter to a very recent article, a pressing issue or event. Make it relevant. For example, you could write about how there has been a lot of press coverage for Labor day – but nothing about the fact that 70% of working age Americans with disabilities don’t have jobs.

Some newspapers receive a hundreds of letters to the editor a day. Do something to make it stand out from the pack. The headline and opening sentence have to grab the reader and make them want to read more. But be brief as generally shorter letters have a better chance of being accepted.

You can also have some like-minded people also write different letters on the same topic. Raising the probability that your issue will receive some press. In the end, make sure to sign the letter and give all your contact info, as the editor may want to talk to you. Also, in a simple sentence, under your signature write what you do, if would add credibility to the letter. “The writer is a Senior Director of the XXXX disability organization.”

If you know someone in a position of power, who feels the way you do, it is acceptable to ask them to sign your letter and send it in as if they wrote it. This is a common practice and goes back to doing anything to distinguish your letter from the rest. A great way to go is to get an employer to write a first hand account as the perspective of someone who has had more success through inclusive hiring.

Don’t get discouraged if your letter doesn’t make the cut; in all likelihood that is what will happen. Just continue to scan the news and look for another opportunity to write another letter.

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HOW TO HOLD A SUCCESSFUL PRESS CONFERENCE

A press conference is a more dramatic way for an organization to present something to the media. This is usually done for big announcements or findings. Before having a press conference, make sure this is the proper forum for your announcement. Is it newsworthy? Is there a story there for the reporters to use? Unless you have a famous local athlete or your mayor, governor or another celebrity, you will likely do better if you give reporters exclusive stories, and avoid the use of press conferences.

A press conference needs to be compelling, and the speaker needs to use good eye contact with the press. The speaker must stick to the message.

The spokesperson must be prepped for the event. Hold a practice news conference where potential questions are asked. Help the spokesperson formulate a clear message. Ask what kind of story you hope the press writes and direct the spokesperson accordingly.

Planning Press Conferences and Events

There are scheduling techniques that can increase the chances of coverage. Monday and Tuesday are traditionally slower news days with fewer competing events. Saturday is also very slow, and getting coverage then will put the event in the Sunday paper, which is the most read of the entire week. But the tradeoff is news crews are short-handed on the weekend, and it takes a lot of selling to get one to materialize at your event. Be sure to do it early enough in the day that your news can make the evening news.

Choosing the right location can also make it easier to gain coverage. Many cities have a standard location where many news conferences take place. When you have a press conference near their offices, the press is usually much happier since they don’t have time to drive far. However, you want a location that helps relay your message—like standing by a river that you are fighting to clean up.

If you don’t know of a good location, make a few calls. Contact the public relations head of a large local company, utility, or charity and find out where they hold news conferences. Phone a member of the press and see where he would prefer to cover news conferences.

Keep in mind that studies show that people remember much more of what they see than what they hear. This means that the most important thing about a press event is how it looks. Make sure that:

• The employer/hero companies’ logo is visually conveyed within the immediate area surrounding the spokesperson so that when the spokesperson is talking, that his or her backdrop shows the message again. You want them to get good coverage so that they will be willing to be a spokesperson again and again.

• Your hero’s name gets into the shot and on television. And before the event, be sure to:

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• Confirm that the room/site will be open 30 to 45 minutes before a press conference so that the press can get in and set up.

• Check that there are electrical sockets available so that the press can plug in their gear.

• Choose a space where there is room for camera tripods. And, make sure that they can be dead center on the podium so that the press will get a good angle and so that your spokesperson looks good on the news or in newspapers.

• Determine the speaking order and format in advance so that there is no confusion on stage.

• Have the text of what the spokesperson will say (or what the message is for the event, presented as a series of quotes from your candidate) to give to reporters so that they will use an accurate quote in the papers and that it will be a quote that you want.

• If you are expecting a lot of press then have a mult-box so that the spokesperson does not have to get buried behind mikes.

• Fill up the crowd with volunteers and enthusiastic supporters so it doesn’t look empty and it has more energy. You might have a home run press conference with only 3 reporters so long as they are from good media outlets!

Before you open up an event to the press, it is very helpful to take a camcorder to the place where the press will be standing, look through the lens, and make sure that this is the best image that you and your spokesperson can convey on the news that day. Then, have the spokesperson practice his or her speech on tape, so that you can see where he or she can improve, or how it will look. Then practice again.

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APPENDIX A: PRESS RELEASES

1. SAMPLE PRESS RELEASE(STRUCTURE)

For Immediate ReleaseOctober 28, 2013

Media contact: INSERT NAME OF YOUR PRESS CONTACT(XXX) Phone numberEmail of the press contact

WITH HELP FROM EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES, PIZZA TIME TO OPEN SECOND RESTAURANTEmployees with Down Syndrome Make Great Pizza, Never Miss Work, Love Their Customers and Making a Difference

Lincoln Park, NY-Local business owner, Tim XXX, is expanding his business, opening another pizza place in nearby Redville, after being in business only two years. When asked how he accomplished the feat Mr. XXX said, “Our great recipes have helped, but I give a lot of credit to my dedicated staff with all sorts of abilities.” While other companies have dedicated personnel, Mr. XXX’s are unique. Almost a third of his employees are comprised of people with disabilities. It has clearly been a win-win situation for him and the community.

In the beginning Pizza time was plagued with high turnover and unreliable workers. “Friday and Saturday nights I would always have someone calling in sick. Usually two.” He said with a smile, “then John YYY, who has Down Syndrome, came in one day after school, to buy pizza and saw my hiring now sign and asked if he could apply. I gave him a shot and now, not only is he my best employee, but one of several outstanding employees with disabilities.”

What makes Mr. YYY different from some of his co-workers is that he has Down Syndrome. He also has a huge passion for pizza and loves to see happy customers. After a few weeks, Mr. XXX came to appreciate that he never missed a day and how hard he worked. One night he jokingly said that if he had five Mr. YYY he wouldn’t even have to show up. Mr. YYY said he had a couple of friends who were looking for a job. Mr. XXX hired them and has since hired three more people with disabilities. “It has been one of the smartest business moves I have made. There are vast numbers of capable individuals that some businesses just don’t hire. It is too bad they don’t give them a chance, I guess their loss is my gain. Employees with disabilities seem to like coming to work and their friendly attitude and great pizza makes the customers come back again and again.”

With the money saved through increased productivity combined with a decrease in the need to train new people all the time and the excellent restaurant experience, Mr. XXX has been able to save for the rental and equipment money to open a second pizza restaurant. People now tend to associate Pizza Time with a welcoming attitude that helps the community. The orders increased dramatically as the churches, schools and clubs are some of their biggest clients.

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Mr. YYY might have been one more person collecting benefits instead of being a productive taxpayer. More than 10 million Americans with disabilities are working age. Fully 70% are outside of the work force, compared to 28% of Americans without disabilities. The majority of working age Americans with disabilities want to work. Fortunately for Pizza Time, Mr XXX and Mr. YYY, they connected for a win-win business combination. Not only is Pizza Time opening a new place, Mr. YYY now has his own apartment and has many new friends from work.

For questions about the release or to interview Mr. XXX or Mr. YYY, please call (XXX) XXX-XXXX.

2. SAMPLE PRESS RELEASE

August 3, 2013Contact: Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi at Jenniferm@RespectAbilityUSA.org or 202-365-0787

In 1-1 Meetings Disability Leaders Offer to Partner with Governors to Expand Employment For People With Disabilities

Milwaukee, WI RespectAbilityUSA leaders Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi and Doc Sweitzer along with leaders from the Autism Society, The National Federation of the Blind, Best Buddies International and USBLN met with 1-1 with Gov. Scott Walker (WI), Gov. Jan Brewer (AZ), Gov. Dennis Daugaard (SC), Gov. Jack Markell (DE), Gov. Jay Nixon (MO), Gov. Terry Branstad (IA), Gov. Phil Bryant (MS) at the NGA conference to discuss employment issues facing people with disabilities. Later today they will meet with Gov. Neal Abercombie (HI) and Gov. John Hickenlooper (CO). They also had short conversations with numerous other Governors. In each meeting the leaders of disability organizations praised the work of the NGA and NGA Chair, Gov. Jack Markell, on “A Better Bottom Line: Employing People with Disabilities.” They offered to partner with the Governors to take the work to the next level to make sure that Americans with disabilities are no longer denied access to jobs and the ability to achieve the American dream. Additionally, each Governor was asked to:

● Host a statewide summit on disability employment that includes companies, non-profits, faith leaders, media, government, philanthropists etc. The goal of the summit is to start a process that will break the deadlock of poor performance by meaningful public-private partnerships and new thinking.

● Use their office and leadership to promote progress through personal statements/opeds on this issue.

● Make specific commitments to improving the numbers of people with disabilities who are employed in a real job for a real wage, as well as for disability owned businesses to be created and expanded through best practices, state procurement and other policies.

● Support a change in focus from a failed system of “from cradle to couch and dependency” to “from cradle to job and independence” thinking. This means that public school and other services, including transition efforts, must be geared toward successful employment opportunities and that schools be measured on their success.

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● or their disability jobs/new business summit to create a public-private partnership/task force reporting directly to them in order to achieve specific employment goals.

● Make a pledge to hold people accountable for better outcomes in the public and private sectors so people with disabilities in their state can be empowered to achieve the American dream. 

Said RespectAbilityUSA’s president, Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, “We celebrate the new toolkit offered by the National Governor's Association. America cannot afford to have more than 10 million Americans sit at home on their couches when they can help make America stronger – and want to work.  Keeping a disability unemployment compensation system that drains taxpayers and provides no returns is financially unsustainable. As a nation we need people with disabilities, especially young people with disabilities, in the competitive workforce at fair, competitive wages. Every American who can work should be encouraged to do so.”

The delegation also brought up with the governors key facts: ● The percentage of Americans with disabilities who are outside the workforce is

exactly the same as it was before the ADA was passed in 1990 (70%). The vast majority of people with disabilities say that they want to work at least part time, but our safety net programs do not encourage labor force participation and continue to punish people for working and saving money.

● Payments to Americans with disabilities cost taxpayers fund a stagnant system. As of March 2012, the poverty rate of working-age people with disabilities was 29%, compared to 13% for their counterparts without disabilities. 

About RespectAbilityUSA.org: RespectAbilityUSA is a new national, non-profit, non-partisan organization whose mission is to reshape the attitudes of American society so that people with disabilities can more fully participate in and contribute to society as well as to empower people with disabilities to achieve as much of the American dream as their abilities and efforts permit. For more information go to www.RespectAbilityUSA.org

3. PRESS RELEASE EXAMPLE

Media Contact: Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi at jenniferm@RespectAbilityUSA.org or 202-365-0787

Press Release 

August 2, 2013

Disability Leaders To Meet With Governors To Discuss Employment For People With Disabilities

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Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi and Doc Sweitzer of RespectAbilityUSA, along with leaders from the Autism Society, The National Federation of the Blind, Best Buddies International and USBLN

will meet with 11 governors at the NGA conference to discuss employment issues facing people with disabilities.

Milwaukee, WI RespectAbilityUSA applauds the initiative announced at the NGA conference by NGA Chairman, Gov. Jack Markell,“A Better Bottom Line: Employing People with Disabilities.” This proposal addresses many of the difficulties millions of people with disabilities face in finding a job. Said RespectAbilityUSA’s president, Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, “We celebrate the new toolkit offered by the National Governor's Association. Now we invite each of America's 50 governors to host a summit for his or her state that brings together leaders from the private sector, faith community, non-profits, media, celebrities and others to discuss how public-private partnerships and volunteerism can help ALL Americans achieve the American dream! Indeed, millions of our fellow citizens want to work and are well qualified to help make our nation stronger. Its common sense to empower more individuals to get off of benefits and into jobs.”

She continued: “Employment also plays an integral part in enfranchising the 57 million Americans who are disabled into the fabric of society. It will achieve what hand-outs can’t: self-respect, dignity and a real chance to achieve the American dream. We cannot afford to have more than 10 million Americans sit at home on their couches when they can help make America stronger.  Keeping a disability unemployment compensation system that mitigates potential productive taxpayers is financially unsustainable. As a nation we need people with disabilities, especially young people with disabilities, in the competitive workforce at fair, competitive wages. Every American who can work should be encouraged to do so.”

Key facts the delegation will bring up with the governors:1. The percentage of Americans with disabilities who are outside the workforce is exactly the

same as it was before the ADA was passed in 1990 (70%).2. The vast majority of people with disabilities say that they want to work at least part time,

but our safety net programs do not encourage labor force participation and continue to punish people for working and saving money.

3. Payments to Americans with disabilities prevent them from engaging in the workforce and becoming taxpayers themselves.

4. As of March 2012, the poverty rate of working-age people with disabilities was 29%, compared to 13% for their counterparts without disabilities.

5. The trust fund for the Social Security disability insurance program will run out of money in 2016 if nothing significant is changed.

6. A 2010 Harris poll of employers shows that 62% said that it costs about the same to hire someone with a disability as someone without. That same poll showed clear majorities of employers thought that you would get the same sort of dedication, flexibility, ability to acquire new skills, and lack of turnover and absenteeism with someone with a disability as someone without. A good third actually felt that they get even more dedication to the job

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from someone with a disability than someone without.

About RespectAbilityUSA.org: RespectAbilityUSA is a new national, non-profit, non-partisan organization whose mission is to reshape the attitudes of American society so that people with disabilities can more fully participate in and contribute to society as well as to empower people with disabilities to achieve as much of the American dream as their abilities and efforts permit. For more information go to www.RespectAbilityUSA.org

4. RESULTING NEWS STORY

Governors Promote Employment For People With Disabilities

By MELISSA MAYNARD, STATELINEMarch 11, 2013

Julie Williard, 25, is one of the top performers in her division filling orders from local stores at the Walgreens distribution center in Windsor, Connecticut. She is also deaf.

Williard says she was more accustomed to being bullied than encouraged before she started at the center, her first full-time job. “It just brought the happiness into my life,” she says. “Right now I have tons of friends.”

What makes this job different is that the facility, which opened in 2009, was built with the needs of people with a range of disabilities in mind. The workplace removes obstacles to success, by offering touchscreens, adjustable work stations and images and symbols to illustrate functions. About half the workers at the center have a disability, and they are expected to compete with all of their colleagues. Making the accommodations cost Walgreens an average of $50 per worker.

The nation’s governors have turned their attention to helping more people like Williard find jobs and building partnerships with companies like Walgreens that are willing to help accommodate people once considered unemployable. The National Governors Association (NGA) is targeting the issue this year and will make recommendations in an August report. The aim is to come up with plans that provide workers with disabilities not only a paycheck, but also a deeper sense of purpose and belonging.

Delaware Governor Jack Markell, NGA chair, says he chose this issue after meeting a Bank of America employee with a disability who made T-shirts and other promotional materials. Markell says he was moved by the pride the employee took in his work and asked what he had been doing before he got the job. “He sat at home for six years watching TV with his parents,” Markell told Stateline.

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According to the NGA, the U.S. spends about $300 billion annually to support unemployed workers with disabilities, while 67 percent of working-age people with disabilities would rather have a job than be unemployed and unproductive.

Nationally, more than 30 percent of the adult population receiving income-based government assistance through programs such as Medicaid and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families has a disability, according to a recent report from the Census Bureau. One in three adults with disabilities, ages 18 to 64, were employed in 2011, compared with three out of four adults without a disability.

State governments have taken a variety of steps to help these workers find jobs. Connecticut’s state vocational rehabilitation agency, for example, works closely with Walgreens to identify people with disabilities who might be a good fit for the program and provides ongoing support for employees who are struggling to adapt.

“(Walgreens) didn’t ask for much,” Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy told fellow governors in February at the NGA’s winter meeting in Washington, D.C. “The one change that we had to make in Connecticut is we put a bus stop at their front door.” The state also provides funding for the training program through a nonprofit partner, Community Enterprises.

Delaware’s Markell signed “Employment First” legislation in July requiring state agencies that provide services to people with disabilities to push jobs that are in an integrated setting as the first choice. A work group is also focusing on state hiring practices with the goal of advancing recruitment, retention and career advancement opportunities for people with disabilities. “States can be model employers themselves,” he says.

Utah has put in place an alternative application process for state workers called “ASAP” that lets qualified people with disabilities bypass the regular competitive hiring process. Instead, they get the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to do the job in a trial work period.

A state program also helps workers with disabilities understand whether any of their benefits, such as Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare and housing support, would be affected if they were to get a job, and informs them of available work incentives and safety nets.

“If you cannot convince the individual that it is in their best interest to try working at a level that will get them off of benefits, increase their disposable income and improve their quality of life, nothing else you do for them in the (vocational rehabilitation) program is going to make that big of a difference,” Don Uchida, executive director of the Utah State Office of Rehabilitation, said in testimony last month before the U.S. Senate Health Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Companies like Walgreens that have made strides in hiring and training people with disabilities say it has helped their bottom line. “This was not charity; this was business,” Walgreens president and CEO Greg Wasson said at the NGA meeting.

Wasson credited the program in Connecticut and other distribution centers with lowering absenteeism, increasing retention and reducing the number of accidents and associated workers’

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compensation costs. The company has since launched a similar program for its retail outlets that partners with state agencies and community organizations to train and place people with disabilities as service clerks.

Stephen Wooderson, chief executive officer of the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation and former director of Iowa’s program, says he appreciates all of the attention the NGA initiative has brought to the issue and the change it is already beginning to generate. The NGA’s focus on working with businesses to meet their needs is furthering an effort that has been gradually taking hold in the vocational rehabilitation community. “Quite honestly for many years, we have been training individuals without a clear understanding of what the marketplace was going to be when they completed their training,” he says.

South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard brought home the point at the NGA meeting with an emotional story about growing up on a farm in South Dakota with two deaf parents. After his father was laid off from a job making cabinets, Daugaard remembers his parents arguing in sign language over whether they should accept unemployment benefits. His father then got a job as a janitor at night while working on the farm during the day.

“I thank all the employers here who open their minds and job sites to workers with disabilities because by helping them you are helping yourselves, but your efforts also unlock doors,” he said. “They give workers like my parents a chance to live their lives with dignity and provide for their little boys back at home.”

Daugaard told Stateline he believes workers with disabilities have a lot to offer employers. “Many folks with disabilities have an increased level of determination because they’ve had to overcome adversity in the form of their disability,” he says. “They can in many ways become a superior employee to those without disabilities.”

Stateline is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news service of the Pew Center on the States that provides daily reporting and analysis on trends in state policy.

APPENDIX B: OP-EDS

1. OP-ED WRITTEN FOR CONGRESSWOMAN CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS

Finding jobs for Cole and his peers

Most people think of me as a Member of Congress and Chair of the House Republican Caucus. However, my husband and I are also the proud parents of Cole, a delightful and fun six year old child who also happens to have Down syndrome.

Because seventy percent of working age Americans with disabilities are currently outside of the workforce, compared to 28% of those who don’t have disabilities, I have already started plotting Cole’s path to a job where he can have the ability to achieve independence, feel respected and valued, and bring value to his employer.

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As a legislator, I am proud of what Senators Bob Dole, Tom Harkin and others did decades ago for people with disabilities in passing the landmark legislation Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Because they worked in a bipartisan way, I know that Cole can access quality public school education where he can benefit from being with “typical” children, and they can benefit from spending time with him.

However, despite improvements in education for children with disabilities, most of those who graduate high school or college will find that no one is willing to hire them. Indeed, as the 57 million Americans with disabilities know all too well, the percentage of Americans with disabilities who are in jobs has not moved in two decades. Think about it – not even a 1% improvement since the ADA was passed 24 years ago.

This past week I joined with Governor Jack Markell, Chair of the National Governor’s Association, for Building a More Inclusive Workforce: A National Summit to Boost Education and Employment Outcomes for Americans with Disabilities.” Senator Harkin played a key role in the summit, and like Rep. Pete Sessions and others, he is extremely focused on these issues. We need bi-partisan efforts to improve not only America’s bottom line, but the lives of millions.

Progress has started in a handful of forward thinking states and companies. My state of Washington has much better outcomes than others. Companies such as Bank of America, Walgreens and Wal-Mart have proven that you can do well (make money) and do good (hire Americans with disabilities who otherwise would be on government benefits) at the same time. Indeed, companies who hire people with disabilities have been rewarded with loyal employees who stay at their jobs for years and are among their most productive workers.

Programs such as the non-profit Project Search, which forms successful partnerships between schools and places of employment to provide internship opportunities for young adults with disabilities, are models for how to transition students with disabilities successfully into the work force. Sadly however, only a small fraction of those who need such programs are able to do them as they are still too small and isolated to give the large boost that is needed.

Our model is broken. We spend more than 300 billion a year of taxpayer money to provide benefits to people with disabilities when most of them who are working age want to work. They want a hand up, not a hand out. We spend nearly 40 times more in maintaining a terrible status quo than on getting people with disabilities trained, placed and supported in jobs.

Today, every family has, in some way, been touched by a disability. The growing ranks of children who have been diagnosed with autism, the veterans returning from foreign wars without limbs or with PTSD, or people who, like Cole, have Down syndrome, all have value.

We must change the mindset of our country from looking at those with disabilities as a liability to seeing them as an unharnessed asset. As the baby boomers age and we need younger workers, we need to remember that Americans with disabilities can and should be a part of the solution. With the help of business leaders, politicians and the citizens they serve, all must make

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this issue a priority. We must take down the barriers that have prohibited people with disabilities from finding a job.

A job is more than just money. My child, Cole, has at least twelve more years of school ahead of him before he looks for work. For me as a parent and as a legislator, the clock is ticking so I don’t want to waste a single day in the effort to ensure that Americans of ALL abilities are valued and appreciated for the strengths they have.

Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Washington State’s 5th Congressional District Representative, is Chair, House Republican Caucus.

2. OP-ED EXAMPLE

Gov. Jack Markell- Governor of DelawareA Better Bottom Line: Employing Individuals With DisabilitiesPosted: 08/13/2013 12:32 pm

Ten years ago, I met a 25-year-old employee of Bank of America in Delaware. He had Down Syndrome and was enthusiastically making t-shirts on a silk screen press. He told me how thrilled he was to be working.

I asked him what he had done before getting that job. He told me he had sat at home for six years watching TV with his parents. And during that time, his parents watched after their disheartened son.

This is the reality for too many Americans with disabilities and their families. Twenty-three years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, only 20 percent of the 54 million Americans living with a disability are employed or seeking employment, compared to almost 70 percent of people without disabilities.

It's time, once and for all, to move the needle. That's why I recently released my "A Better Bottom Line: Employing Individuals with Disabilities" blueprint for governors at the conclusion of my one-year tenure as Chair of the National Governors Association.

This blueprint is not about feel-good social policy. As Greg Wasson, CEO of Walgreens, has told his peers, Walgreens employs people with disabilities not out of charity, but as a business decision.

At Walgreens' distribution facilities in Connecticut and South Carolina, approximately half of the employees have disabilities. And those two centers perform as well as, if not better than, any other facility in the Walgreens supply chain.

At Acadia Windows and Doors in Maryland, six out of 60 employees have disabilities. Neill Christopher, the company's vice president, said he resisted hiring the first employee with a disability out of a fear that window manufacturing is too dangerous. Now, several employees

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later, he reports that the company operates safer than ever and that his new employees not only make the company better, but also kinder.

CAI, a regional IT company, has committed to making people with autism 3 percent of its consultant base within three years. SAP, the mammoth enterprise software company, has made a similar commitment. Both companies have done so because they recognize that many people with autism excel at software testing.

My blueprint is designed to give governors tools to increase employment of people with disabilities in their states. Based on input from business leaders, it suggests that states change their approach. Historically, our Divisions of Vocational Rehabilitation have asked companies to do a favor to those with disabilities by offering them a job. That will change. In the future, our Departments of Labor will seek to be real business partners to companies looking to hire people with particular skills. Some of those people recommended may have disabilities and some may not. But the real focus will be on the ability and not the disability.

In addition, states must do a better job of preparing our youth with disabilities. Too often in the past, there has been an expectation that they would sign up at 17 or 18 for a lifetime on public benefits. No more. Now our young people will know that we have an expectation that they will find work and even a career. They will be educated and have access to career exploration opportunities accordingly.

In an era when there seems to be so little common ground between Democrats and Republicans, this issue stands apart. For my blueprint, I teamed up with South Dakota Republican Governor Dennis Daugaard, a remarkable man who grew up in South Dakota with two parents who are deaf.

Federal officials as far apart as Democrat Senator Tom Harkin and Republican members of congress Pete Sessions and Cathy McMorris Rodgers are working together on this issue.

And when I testified at the Senate HELP Committee at the invitation of Senator Harkin, I was approached afterward by Republican Senator Lamar Alexander. He told me how much he appreciated that our approach is focused on how states can help businesses identify, hire and retain people with disabilities rather than how we can extract more federal government money for additional social programs.

In fact, that's one reason that our initiative is a real win-win-win. Not only will the individuals themselves have a sense of purpose and know what it's like to be productive. Not only will their family members have a chance to live fuller lives themselves. But in addition to that, taxpayers win. Instead of spending millions of dollars on benefits and welfare for people with disabilities, many of these budding employees and entrepreneurs will turn into productive taxpayers themselves. And that's something that liberals and conservatives alike should embrace.

All it takes is for companies throughout the country to follow the lead of businesses like Bank of America, Walgreens, Acadia Windows, CAI and SAP, who are all employing skilled people like the 25-year-old I met a few years ago.

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Jack Markell is in his second term as governor of Delaware. He previously served three terms as the state's treasurer and was the 13th employee at Nextel (a name he coined), where he served as senior vice president for corporate development

http://m.jsonline.com/more/editorials/perspectives/217983671.htm

3. OP-ED EXAMPLE

Disability advocates laud governors' jobs focusBy Cindy Bentley, Daniel Bier, Joan Karan, Lisa Pugh And Beth SwedeenAug. 1, 2013 | (3) CommentsFinding workers who improve the bottom line is the goal of any successful business.

However, too often workers with disabilities get overlooked. In Wisconsin, the employment rate is 70% for working-age persons without disabilities, while only 37% of people with disabilities are on the job. In other related employment measures for these workers, Wisconsin is in the bottom half of states.

Experts estimate considerable costs to communities caused by the unemployment or "lost output" of Americans with disabilities. Some states have calculated their costs at more than $10 billion.

For these reasons, the Wisconsin disability community welcomes the Better Bottom Line Blueprint for Employing People with Disabilities, to be unveiled by the National Governors Association at its national conference in Milwaukee this week.

The blueprint identifies policies and strategies for state government and business to get workers with disabilities into the competitive labor market, increase profits and reduce overall reliance on public benefits. It gives Wisconsin a good starting point for improving disability employment outcomes.

Wisconsin also has some solid building blocks: The Project SEARCH on-the-job training effort at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin recorded an 83% employment success rate for youths with the most significant disabilities. Walgreen's Retail Employees with Disabilities Initiative is showcasing how business can improve profits and diversify the workforce by targeting and training workers with disabilities.

Much of the blueprint focuses on preparing youths with disabilities for work, including how states can lead the way with targeted policy changes and by being a model employer. One little-known Wisconsin project — the Let's Get to Work initiative — provides excellent ideas for next steps. In just one year, the project's focus on collaboration between state agencies and improved practices tripled the paid employment rates for participating youths. We suggest the findings from this project (which is already becoming a model for the nation) should be scaled up for youths statewide.

While a July 16 Journal Sentinel editorial questions whether a need for more funding is part of the disability employment problem (4,000 people with disabilities are waiting for vocational supports), the blueprint makes it clear it is not just about money. We must break down employer misperceptions about liability concerns, expose the minimal costs of most workplace accommodations and reduce negative assumptions about worker abilities.

We also must market the truth that employers such as Walgreen's already know: that their employees with disabilities add to the bottom line through increased productivity and reduced staff turnover.

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After recent intentional hiring and training of people with disabilities nationally, one Walgreen's executive said, "We held the belief that people with disabilities, given the right training and support, could work as fast, as accurately and as safely as our current workforce. We have seen this proven to be true in all of our buildings; the higher our expectations, the more our workers with disabilities achieved."

Tailored Label Products in Menomonee Falls, a manufacturer that has doubled its revenues over the last decade, tells much the same story. Nine-year employee Patrick Young, who has Down syndrome, is among their valued employees.

"My hope is for people with disabilities in Wisconsin to have a job in the community and be involved in the community," says Patrick, who now can afford to live on his own with limited use of public benefits.

We suggest policy-makers and employers put the blueprint into action now, the Wisconsin way. It is long overdue that we recognize employment of people with disabilities not as a social service, but an economic strategy and see this untapped labor pool as a source of skilled employees who can play a strategic role in meeting workforce needs.

Cindy Bentley is director of People First of Wisconsin. Daniel Bier is associate director of the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Joan Karan is acting executive director of Disability Rights Wisconsin. Lisa Pugh is public policy coordinator at Wisconsin Disability Policy Partnership, Disability Rights Wisconsin. Beth Swedeen is executive director of the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities and Let's Get to Work project.

4. OP-ED EXAMPLE

Michael J. Fox a role model for disabled

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Battle with Parkinson's disease, helps his new show advance cause of disabled people.

Michael J. Fox's appearance at the Emmy Awards this week brought him a standing ovation from the celebrity audience. But was the applause recognition of Fox's extraordinary record as a five-time Emmy-winning actor? Or was it perhaps the equivalent of "pity-applause" because of Fox's public battle with Parkinson's disease?

Hard to tell. But with the premiere of the Michael J. Fox Show Thursday night, Fox's role as an actor could transition him into a major civil rights leader for people living with disabilities.

Television has the power to change lives. From our favorite sitcoms to the evening news, polls show that television is the lens through which Americans form opinions. Indeed, TV can have a stronger impact on both viewers and this country's laws than even education or our own families.

Consider, for example, the media's central role in the progression of civil rights. The Cosby Show and Oprah charted new territory for race relations in our nation. For the first time, African Americans were welcomed like family members into the living rooms of white Americans.

On another front, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Will and Grace and Married with Children helped advance LGBT issues. These TV programs shifted public opinion on marriage equality so quickly that elected officials and courts have been falling over each other to change their views -- and legislation -- on these issues.

In the Michael J. Fox Show, the popular actor will portray a reporter with Parkinson's who re-enters the workforce. Because Fox is already so well-liked and talented, the disability community harbors high hopes that viewers will not only root for him, but will also absorb and accept the fact that people with disabilities can succeed in the workplace.

Why such big hopes and dreams? Consider this: 70% of working-age Americans with disabilities don't have jobs, even though most of them want to work. That compares to 28% of Americans without disabilities who don't have jobs. This disparity has resulted in extremely high levels of poverty, isolation and financial dependency for Americans with disabilities, costing taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars a year in government benefits.

Unfortunately, the American public has a negative misimpression of what it's like to have people with disabilities in the workplace, even though some of the nation's greatest presidents and thought leaders lived with such challenges. Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, for example, were thought to have been dyslexic; President Franklin Roosevelt used a wheelchair; Albert Einstein is believed to have been on the autism spectrum; and, despite physical challenges, Stephen Hawking is literally unlocking the secrets of the universe. But none of them had or have the power of television propelling them forward like the wind at their backs.

The Michael J. Fox Show may be the catalyst for a welcome change and its star can be the Martin Luther King of our era. After all, according to the U.S. Census, almost one in five people -- approximately 57 million Americans -- identify as people with disabilities. With the

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advent of the Michael J. Fox Show, this population will now have a visible positive role model in the eyes of millions of America.

Some major businesses have already made the effort to include people with disabilities in their workforces. They have found that it brings them an economic advantage. Walgreens, for example, is a proven model for hiring people with disabilities. The company, and others who have made similar decisions to hire people with disabilities, find that they are often exceptionally loyal workers, have fewer accidents in the workplace and can make a company more profitable.

With any luck, Michael J. Fox and his new show will chart a new course, moving jobs for people with disabilities beyond the fantasy of TV screens and into our real lives.

Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, a person with a disability, is the president of www.RespectAbilityUSA.org, a non-profit organization working to empower people with disabilities to achieve the American dream.

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