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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | April 7, 2016 02:28 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Dan L. Miller |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Alternative to the Civil Service Exam for Individuals with Disabilities |
| In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation which would provide an alternative path for civil service examinations for individuals who have a disability. In Pennsylvania, there are nearly 1 million working-aged individuals (16-64) who have a disability. In December 2015 the Disability Rights Network reported that 60,000 Pennsylvanians with disabilities over the age of 21 were not employed but actively seeking employment. In 2014 the unemployment rate for people with disabilities was 12.5%- double the rate for people without disabilities. This statistic also does not reflect the large amount of people with disabilities who stop trying to find a job because traditional employment screening puts them at a disadvantage for employment. This legislation recognizes that a standard civil service examination does not necessarily measure the unique skills and abilities that individuals with disabilities have to contribute, and requires that alternative assessments be made available to qualified applicants. These alternatives would not lower the bar but would recognize that different people may take different paths to get over it. Several states have already taken such steps and Pennsylvania must not be left behind. The reality is that we are graduating too many young people from high school- or even post-secondary institutions- and sending them straight to the couch. We must provide greater flexibility in evaluating their skill sets and pull them in rather than push them out of our workforce. Employees with a disability add value to the workplace by being dedicated, loyal, and productive members of a team, by increasing productivity, and by contributing to new product and service innovations that improve the bottom line. By adding alternative evaluation methods to our own civil service examination, the Commonwealth will be setting an example for employers throughout the state. Please join me in co-sponsoring this legislation. |