eSight Community News

A diversity of leading companies and U.S. Government agencies are participating at the Los Angeles CAREER EXPO on January 30th. To mention a few: NASA, Amgen, Honda, Aerospace Corporation, Boeing Company, (Bronze Sponsor), Epson America, Inc., Lockheed Martin Corporation, U.S. Coast Guard, Northrop Grumman, (Silver Sponsor), Social Security-OESP, State Compensation Insurance Fund, Toyota, (Bronze Sponsor), and the U.S. Comptroller of the currency.

Fifteen years after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 19 million people with disabilities who want to work still have challenges from the able-bodied workforce, many of who are unable to discard prejudice and be comfortable with people with disabilities.

"Companies and government agencies try to deal with the 'Fear Factor' from their able-bodied workforce, and confirm that it is all about educating them that people with disabilities are not only a vital talent pool of very capable people, but are also just like you and me," says John Miller, chairman and CEO of EOP, Inc., publisher of CAREERS & the disABLED magazine. "If only given the chance, people with disabilities will work extra hard to succeed. Some have to spend two hours to get ready for work each day yet they are at work earlier and stay later than many of their able-bodied peers."

Miller, who hired and trained Procter & Gamble's first African-American salesman in 1966, founded EOP with his African-American partner, the late Alfred Duckett. Together they made history by forming the nation's first interracially owned and staffed company and starting the nation's first career magazine for college graduating minorities, Equal Opportunity magazine in 1969. They were interviewed live on the "Today Show" by Barbara Walters during United Negro History Week.

Trying to overcome challenges in the workplace for people with disabilities, the nation's leading career magazine for people with disabilities, CAREERS & the disABLED, (now in its 20th year) sponsors the largest career fairs in the country helping industry and government connect with entry-level college grads and professionals with disabilities.

Now in its second year for the Los Angeles, Ca. job market, the CAREER EXPO for people with disabilities, averages attendance by over 500 pre-registered candidates and leading companies and government agencies that seek to recruit people with disabilities.

"Many people have been hired from the event," notes Miller, "and we are making progress. But we have a long way to go. As the late Evan Kemp, past chairman of the EEOC and a wheelchair user, told me back in 1997, 'I feel that it will take another eight to ten years before people with disabilities will believe that companies and government agencies are well intentioned for the right reasons, and for companies to take ownership of the hiring process to affect meaningful employment for people with disabilities as they have done for women and minorities since Title VII of the EEOC was passed by Congress in 1964 under President Johnson.'" Miller added to Kemp's comments, "We need the same push that Title VII gave to women and minorities for people with disabilities. Clearly, the ADA has not achieved that objective. Proof of that is the unemployment rate of 68% for people with disabilities is virtually the same since its passage became law on July 1, 1992."

This year, as last, the CAREER EXPO in Los Angeles will be held on Tuesday, January 30th at the L.A. Convention Center, 2nd Floor Concourse Hall, 1201 Figueroa Street, (www.lacclink.com), between 10 am and 3PM. Job applicants who wish to preregister and attend the event, can go online at www.eop.com/exporegistration.html and attach their resume that will be included on a CD disk given to all of the recruiters. The FREE service also applies to those unable to attend.

"We want all of our career events for people with disabilities to be accessible and, although we encourage everybody to attend the event, it is not a requirement for those who are outside the area or are challenged with transportation issues," Miller adds. "We hire many sign-language interpreters to help attendees who are deaf and hard-of-hearing communicate with the recruiters," says Miller.

The Los Angeles CAREER EXPO for people with disabilities is hosted by EOP's CAREERS & the disABLED magazine and sponsored by the California Governor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, The California Department of Rehabilitation, the Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD), and COSD, Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities. "An 8xlO-foot booth costs $3200 (industry), and $2950 (government)," says Dana Gabriel, National Sales Manager of EOP's Career Expo Show Division. (631-421-9421, ext. 25). “Details regarding exhibiting at our Los Angeles CAREER EXPO can be found online at our website: WWW.EOP.COM,” said Gabriel.

"Scholarships are awarded each year to deserving candidates to further their education, and are presented on behalf of our sponsors of each event. Northrop Grumman Corporation is a Silver Sponsor this year," says Jim Schneider, Editorial Director of EOP, Inc. "On its behalf we will present a scholarship at the Los Angeles 2007 CAREER EXPO for people with disabilities to a well-qualified college student with a disability: Erin Stewart who is a member of the National Society of Black Engineers, and an Electrical Engineer. Erin has had a bilateral hearing loss since birth."

CAREERS & the disABLED magazine is published by Equal Opportunity Publications, Inc. EOP publishes six additional affirmative action/diversity career magazines: Equal Opportunity (The nation's first career magazine for college graduate minorities), Woman Engineer, Minority Engineer, Workforce Diversity for IT and Engineering Professionals, African-American Career World, and Hispanic Career World. The company headquarters are in Melville, NY, at 445 Broad Hollow Road, Suite 425, 11747. Website: WWW.EOP.COM. Phone: 631-421-9421.