TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings urged employers Tuesday to hire the disabled and said the governor's coming budget will propose spending $1.5 million for helping people with disabilities find work.
"People with disabilities want to work and they want to work hard," Jennings said. "They are an important part of Florida's economy."
Jennings made the push as The Able Trust released a survey of Florida employers' attitudes and policies toward hiring people with disabilities. The survey found that nearly one in three businesses have no formal policies to recruit people with disabilities.
"Florida employers are not including people with disabilities on their action plans when it comes to hiring," said Rita Craig, chairwoman of the Business Leadership Network for the trust. "Our businesses here need to be more informed of the opportunities they have in this untapped market."
Jennings noted that while some employers don't make an effort to hire the disabled, 72 percent of the companies surveyed that had hired people with disabilities said the person had a favorable effect on the company's business.
Gov. Jeb Bush will present his suggestions for the state budget next Tuesday. Jennings noted that since Bush was elected in 1998, funding for developmental services has increased from about $500 million to more than $1 billion.
Bush's proposed budget will include $1.5 million for a program to help as many as 500 people with disabilities in finding employment, Jennings said.
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