A new Westport initiative called Employment is for Everyone (E4E) seeks to offer improved access to employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. By providing job seekers and businesses with the resources to integrate people with differing levels of ability into jobs, the town hopes to affirm its inclusivity and promote an economically beneficial addition to the workforce.
The official announcement of E4E was made in front of Westport Town Hall on the chilly morning of March 29. A group of supporters, Westport government members, business owners and program participants gathered for the announcement, with an ASL interpreter on hand to interpret for the hard of hearing in the audience.
First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker voiced strong support for the program.
“I’m actually beaming with pride to be standing here before you today to talk about Employment for Everyone,” she said, describing the launch of the program as the culmination of the four years of work she performed while the town’s Second Selectwoman.
“Our local business owners and leaders are some of the smartest, most creative, most community-minded people I know,” she continued. “That’s how I know that this initiative is going to be successful here in this business community. Not only is it going to provide really needed employment opportunities and growth opportunities, but I can also tell that it has been proven time and time again that businesses that have diverse workforces have more engaged employees. They have happier employees who have a more rich and engaging exchange of ideas in the workplace, which all falls to the bottom line as well.”
“I know that this will be an important part of ensuring that Westport remains a great place to start and grow a business,” Tooker concluded.
The E website provides informational resources for both disabled job seekers and employers to fully understand accommodations and grants. It also features a job board, which already had six positions posted at the time of the ceremony.
Tooker was followed during the launch ceremony by Jim Ross, the chairman of Westport’s Commission on People with Disabilities, who stressed there were sound business reasons to hire disabled workers.
“This is not charity,” Ross said. “There’s a really good commercial and business reason for bringing these people in because they bring such heart, such a different perspective.”
Ross pointed out that he is visually impaired and had to rely on others to drive him to the event, which he argued had benefits.
“I have to go and ask people for help, so I have learned to be a much better team player working amongst others, asking for help and listening to feedback,” he stated.
Ross said that in addition to hiring people with disabilities businesses stand to benefit from complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by ensuring their facilities and websites are accessible to as many people as possible. He positioned ADA compliance not only as a legal matter, but as one that increases the customer base and often makes life easier for nondisabled people as well.
“Westport’s a small town,” Ross concluded. “But we like to do really big things. As I look around this state and nation, I don’t see a lot of towns doing something like this. This is a big thing, and this pebble is going to make waves.”
