Focuses on veterans with service-connected disabilities and their challenges. Examines veterans challenges and barriers to employment. Explores employers’ stereotypes and responsibilities. Highlights Public and Private Initiatives to Address Employment Barriers of Disabled Veterans.

1. Disabled Veterans’ Challenges to Employment
Presented By: James L. Berman

2. Introduction:
A Story About Jacob

3. PURPOSE OF PAPER
 Focuses on veterans with service-connected disabilities and their
challenges in:
 Transitioning,
 Acquiring, and
 Maintaining employment
 Examines veterans challenges and barriers to employment
 Explores employers’ stereotypes and responsibilities
 Highlights Public and Private Initiatives to Address Employment
Barriers of Disabled Veterans

4. Service Connected Disabled Veterans by
Disability Rating Unemployed
0
10
20
30
40
50
2003 2007 2009 2011
TotalinThousands
Year
less than 30 percent of disability rating 30 to 50 percent disability rating
60 percent or higher disability rating

5. Two Personal Surveys Conducted
Responses from Employers:
 39% hire veterans thru routine hiring
process
 0% made special attempt to hire disabled
veterans
 69% of HR professionals not familiar with
disabled vets’ special needs.
 75% of Managers not familiar with
disabled vets’ suitability for employment.
Responses from Disabled Veterans:
 67% held 51% to 100% disability rating
 2/3 were employed or between jobs;
1/3 were “unemployable”
 77% stated they never asked employer
for reasonable accommodations
 44% would not recommend their
employer to other disabled vets
 80% belonged to a vet’s organizations
Private employers severely lack in their responsibility to hire, train,
and retain disabled vets.

6. Two Independent Studies Conducted
 Cornell University Study
“Heroes at Work: Veterans with Disabilities in the
Workplace” (Rudstam and Young 2010)
 Prudential Study
“Veterans Employment Challenges” (Prudential 2012)
These two studies closely mirror the results of the two personal
surveys conducted.

7. Employment Requirements for Disabled
Veterans
Disabled Veteran Challenges:
 Type of service-connected disability
 Level and type of training needed
 Education level
 Mobility/Transportation
 Accessible work site
Disabled veterans are not looking for a hand-out. Instead, they want to be
gainfully employed and accepted as contributing members of society.

8. Employment Requirements for Employers
Employer concerns are:
 Cost of Special Accommodations
 Physical Challenges
 Mental Acuity
 Potential Workplace Violence (Due to PTSD)
 Job Qualifications (Education, Training, Experience)
 Job Demands Like Travel, Work Hours, Etc.
 Job Performance
Some employers have unrealistic fears about hiring disabled vets.

9. Employers Who Have Success
Defense Contractors:
 Lockheed Martin
 BAE Systems
Non-defense Companies:
 USAA
 Verizon
 Bank of America
U.S. companies who invest in recruiting, hiring, and training veterans
capitalize on a readily available supply of highly trained candidates with
unique skill sets that support national defense.

10. Casual Relationship
A causal relationship exists between the disabled veteran
and successful employment.
 Disabled veteran accepts the reality that a lifestyle
change is necessary to manage effectively his/her
disability and be employed.
 Disabled veteran needs reasonable accommodations in
order maintain gainful employment.
 Employer must provide easy accessibility to the
workplace.

11. Conclusion
Disabled veterans possess unique
 transferable job skills,
 self-discipline, and
 self-motivation
to be productive employees in the workplace and
contributing members of society.
Employers owe the success of their businesses and the freedoms they enjoy to
the soldiers who fought and were injured—some died—on their behalf.

12. Questions?