Friends of WVSILC: 2 Legislative Calendar 2 Jan Lilly-Stewart 3 RYPAS Board 3 Wall of Fame SILC UPDATE 8 Labor Statistics The State Legislative Session is in full swing and we are watching closely to see what bills, good and bad, will affect people with disabilities. At the Federal level, the lack of a complete budget for FY 2019 has resulted in a “partial government shutdown” leaving hundreds of thousands of federal employees without a pay check. The good news is that the federal departments of Education and Health and Human Services have budgets that have passed and they are working, and getting paid – which means the Division of Rehabilitation Services, the SILC, and the Centers for Independent Living are receiving their federal funding. So, we are at end of THE the first quarter of the fiscal year with no budget agreement in sight. Let’s hope things go a bit smoother at the State level!

The Fall elections resulted in several new members of the WV Senate and House of Delegates. Be sure to reach out to new legislators to let them know who you are and why you care about disability issues. Be a resource to them as they learn the process and make sure they learn about the effect their decisions can have on the lives of people with WINTERdisabilities 2019 - WVSILC– share - POwhat Box you 625 -know Institute, – shareWV 25112 your personal experiences – let them know how to get more information – they need you! And if you are not a member of the Fair Shake Network (FSN) – you should be! FSN is the unified voice of the disability community at the Legislature and they need your support – go to www.fairshake.org today and join!

MISSION From the desk of: “To ensure persons who have disabilities have access to community-based resources that promote personal choice and facilitate the achievement of their independent living goals.” Ann McDaniel Executive Director

IN THIS EDITION:

Jan Lilly-Stewart Racer loses his legs but Blind delegate to Duckworth has her revenge 1951-2018 p.2 not his drive p.4 take office p.5 on lousy airline service p.6 WV Centers for Independent Living

Appalachian CIL Mountain State CIL Elk Office Center 821 Fourth Ave. 4710 Chimney Dr. Huntington, WV 25701 on the Charleston, WV 25302 1-866-687-8245 1-800-642-3003 329 Prince St. Northern WV CIL Beckley, WV 25801 601-603 East Brockway Ave. 304-255-0122 Suite A & B Morgantown, WV 26505 1-800-834-6408 Go Paperless: If you would prefer to 109 Randolph Ave. receive our newsletter electronically, please Elkins, WV 26241 contact us at (304) 766-4624 or wvsilc@ 304-636-0143 wvsilc.org. Jan Lilly-Stewart

You have probably already heard that former SILC member Jan Lilly-Stewart, 2019 Legislative Calendar passed away Thursday December 6, 2018 at CAMC Memorial Hospital after a short illness surrounded by family and friends. She will be remembered by First Day - January 9, 2019: First day of many for her fierce advocacy, steadfast friendship, and unwavering love of life. session. (WV Const. Art. VI, §18) Jan was born August 15, 1951 in Beckley, WV daughter of Genevieve “Jennie” Browning, of Canton, OH, and the late James Lilly. When Jan was a child, Twentieth Day - January 28, 2019: doctors told her mother that she was not likely to live to adulthood due to her Submission of Legislative Rule-Making spina bifida. Her mother defied their predictions. She supported Jan in following Review bills due. (WV Code §29A-3-12) her dreams, which led her to a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Marshall University, a career in the disability movement and marriage to the love of her Thirty-fifth Day - February 12, 2019: Last life, David Stewart, who died in 2015. Jan was the first inductee in the West day to introduce bills in the House. House Virginia Independent Living Hall of Fame on July 21, 2002. She was one of the Rule 91a does not apply to originating or pioneers in the state’s independent living movement as an original staff supplementary appropriation bills, and does member at the first CIL (Center for Independent Living) in in not apply to Senate or House resolutions or Huntington, now known as Mountain State Centers for Independent Living.. concurrent resolutions. She was recognized nationally for her contributions with a Regional Advocacy Award by the National Council on Independent Living. She left the CIL to lead Forty-first Day - February 18, 2019: Last the advocacy efforts of the W Developmental Disabilities Council. She was day to introduce bills in the Senate. Senate one of the founders of the Fair Shake Network and served as its coordinator Rule 14 does not apply to originating or for several years. Jan was well-known at the State Legislature for her expertise supplementary appropriation bills, and does and leadership on disability issues. She helped author legislation that closed not apply to Senate or House resolutions or the Colin Anderson Center, the state’s last institution for people with concurrent resolutions. developmental disabilities. She was also instrumental in the passage the Ron Yost Personal Assistance Services (RYPAS) Act, the Independent Living Act Forty-seventh Day - February 24, 2019: and other important bills. She served on the first RYPAS Board and was Bills due out of committees in house of origin instrumental in the development of the legislative rules and policies for the to ensure three full days for readings. program. She was the founder of WV Partners in Policymaking, which has helped prepare many new leaders in the disability movement. She was an Fiftieth Day - February 27, 2019: Last day to amazing mentor to many of us. Jan worked hard, and she played hard. She consider bill on third reading in house of origin. and David hosted frequent gatherings in their home, where David loved to Does not include budget or supplementary cook and friends often played music. Many a Friday night during the summer, appropriation bills. (Joint Rule 5 paragraph b) Jan could be found listening to local musicians at Live on the Levy. She loved the Beatles and saw Bruce Springsteen in concert four times. On hearing of Sixtieth Day - March 9, 2019: Adjournment her passing, Don Perdue, former Delegate to the West Virginia House of at Midnight. (WV Const. Art. VI, §22) Delegates, remarked: “Oh my! Such a great person. God increased the value of Heaven today.” A celebration of Jan’s life was held December 15, 2018 at For more information on the 2019 WV Snodgrass Funeral Home by her family and friends. In lieu of flowers, the Legislative Session, see full calendar on family requested that donations be made to The Fair Shake Network, PO Box page 15 or visit the WV State Legislature 354, Institute, WV 25112, or online at http://www.fairshake.org/donate.html. website at: http://www.legis.state.wv.us.

Page 2 WVSILC Solicits Nominations MTSTCIL Wall of Fame

for the RYPAS Board Ann McDaniel is the latest member of the Mountain State Centers for Independent The West Virginia Statewide Independent Living Wall of Fame. Living Council is (SILC) is recruiting individuals with disabilities to fill vacancies on the Ron Yost Personal Assistance Services Board. The Council is mandated by Section 18, Article 10L of the West Virginia Code to maintain a standing committee to serve as the consumer-controlled board to direct the WV Division of Rehabilitation Services in the implementation of this program. The Ron Yost Personal Assistance Services Program (RYPAS) is a State funded program provided through the State Plan for Independent Living.

Legislatively, the board is required to meet at least quarterly, but usually meets monthly to review applications for eligibility and to address policy and other governing issues for the program. Board members will be compensated for allowable expenses incurred as a result of active participation on the board. Individuals nominated must have a severe disability (a physical, mental, or sensory impairment that affects one or more major life activity), be dedicated to the development and growth of the Ron Yost Personal Assistance Services Program (RYPAS), and be committed to attending meetings and actively participate on the board.

You may wish to nominate yourself or another person (with their permission) for membership on this board. More information about RYPAS is available at http:// www.wvsilc.org/rypas.htm. The form to nominate RYPAS Board members is on page 13 and available at http://www.wvsilc.org/docs/RYPAS%20Board%20 At the WVSILC meeting on Wednesday, Nomination%20Form.pdf. Learn more about WVSILC and its work at http:// January 9, 2019, Anne Weeks, CEO/ www.wvsilc.org. President of Mountain State Centers for Independent Living presented a copy of the Please feel free to share with as many individuals as you wish. If you have sketch that now hangs in the Mountain State questions or need further information or assistance, please contact WVSILC at Centers for Independent Living’s offices in (304) 766-4624 or toll free at (855) 855-9743 (voice/TDD). Huntington to Ann McDaniel.

Ron Yost sustained a spinal cord injury when he Ann McDaniel MTSTCIL Staff was 20 that resulted in quadriplegia. He was an Ann worked for MTSTCIL for 11 years during active advocate for people with disabilities, and the early years. She started as a part-time he fully understood how much difference having trainer in Lincoln County on a special project. an attendant or personal assistant can make in the level of independence and quality of life for a Ann and Jane Gibbons developed the first person with a disability. Independent Living Skills Training curriculum and was one of the primary skills trainers for He helped develop the long-term attendant care the Center. When Ann left, she was the VP program for people who work, which is administered by the West Virginia for Programs. Division of Rehabilitation Services. He also was involved in the initial discussions to create a program to provide personal assistance for people who could not get services through any existing program. Ann also assisted with the creation of the Beckley office, interviewing candidates, as Although Ron died before the program was established in 1999, it was well as providing orientation training to new named in his honor by the legislators who sponsored the bill. Ron had a staff. She has been one of the leaders in the great impact on the disability community of Huntington and throughout West Independent Living movement, not only in Virginia. the State but also nationwide. Ann continues to be a big asset to the disability community (See Wall p4) Page 3 (Wall continued from p3) in WV for her advocacy efforts. Back on Track Ann McDaniel, Executive Director of the Racer loses his legs but not his drive Statewide Independent Living Center Ann has been an advocate for the civil rights Source: WVU Magazine of people with disabilities for the past 30 years. All David Gardner remembers Ann is recognized and respected by from the moment he crashed is policymakers, lawmakers and people thinking to himself, “How am I with disabilities for her work on the Ron going to fix this?” Yost Personal Assistance Service Act, the legislation that put the WVSILC into state code He was referring to his Swift DB1 and established a line item in the State Budget Formula Ford as it smashed into for independent living services, the Disability the rear of another car on June History Week legislation and many other bills 13, 1999, at the Mid-Ohio Sports that effect the lives of people with disabilities. Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

Ann is a great friend and a mentor to other David Gardner gears up for a race in Ohio Gardner was driving at around advocates and professionals who work on 100 mph. disability issues on state and national levels. Though Gardner, MS ’81, Industrial Relations, was more worried about damaging his car, his own well-being – and existence – hung in balance.

“I didn’t realize it was his car at first,” said his wife, Diane Herron, who saw the crash from the stands. “After they took him to the hospital and told me, ‘We may have to amputate one or both legs,’ that’s when it really hit me.”

Gardner, a native of St. Albans, W.Va., was no novice to car racing. He’d been racing with the Sports Car Club of America since 1981. But, as the sport of

on the racing goes, fate does not discriminate.

Gardner was trapped for more than 30 minutes as crews scrambled to extract him from the mangled wreckage. He was flown to a Cleveland hospital and died twice – once in the helicopter and once in the operating room. Gardner lost lots of blood and his injuries included a broken neck, broken back, crushed pelvis, fractured femurs, broken ribs and a crushed right hand. But the most devastating injuries happened to his legs. An emergency room doctor described Gardner as looking as if he’d stepped on two land mines.

“In order to save my life, my wife had to authorize the amputation of both of my legs,” Gardner said. “I can’t imagine what she went through to have to do that. If it wasn’t for her, I really don’t think I could have recovered and returned to normalcy. She’s an absolute godsend.”

Return to normalcy he did – but it was a long, hard road. Gardner was hospitalized for two months. He spent two of those weeks in a medically induced coma.

“A few months after he got out, a doctor told us they’d given him a zero-percent chance of survival,” Herron said. “They kept that from us while we were in the hospital.”

Despite the amputation, Gardner was determined to walk again.

“What drove me to recovery was lying in the hospital bed and a doctor coming in and saying, ‘David, you’re relatively young. You’re in good health. There’s no reason you won’t walk again on prosthetic legs.’ “From that instant on, I Page 4 (See Racer p5) (Racer continued from p4) Blind delegate to take office in January never had any doubt.”

Source: Charleston Gazette-Mail Over the next several months, Gardner learned to walk on prosthetic legs. He PRINCETON – You could learn something about Eric Porterfield by reading even returned to work in 2000, extending a the writing on the wall. Literally. successful career in human resources.

A Bible verse — “For we walk by faith, not He’d grown up around sports cars and when by sight” — sits in black text on a partition his older brother bought an Austin-Healey facing his front door. 3000 British sports car, he was hooked. Gardner bought his first Porsche in the late Porterfield, 44, was elected in November to 1970s and has bought more since. serve the West Virginia House of Delegates, after surviving a crowded Republican “I knew people raced on an amateur level primary by an eight-vote margin. He believes and I had friends in West Virginia who raced,” he will be the second blind member of the Gardner said. “I knew it was something I chamber. Delegate Robert Hunt, D-Barbour, wanted to do. Before grad school, I took a was the first, elected in 1948. driver’s ed weekend with the Porsche Club of America. I saw how much fun racing had Having lost his vision in an altercation 12 to offer.” years ago, Porterfield said, he still hasn’t Gardner graduated from WVU Tech with an Delegate-elect Eric Porterfield inside his learned to get around as well as someone home in Princeton. Porterfield was blind- who’s been blind since birth, and some tasks undergraduate degree in industrial relations ed in a traumatic incident 12 years ago. take him longer to complete than others. in 1976. After a few years of work, he got a master’s degree in industrial relations at At the end of the day, the born-again independent Baptist missionary said he’s WVU. He went on to work for a series of thankful to God for it all. companies, before retiring as director of human resources for global operations at “Sometimes there’s just not an A to Z solution; you’ve just got to figure out Phillips Medical Systems. how to get things done,” he said. “All the things we talk about, I can give these padded answers, but a lot of it, you’ve just got to take it as it comes and goes.” Perhaps his greatest accomplishment is not just learning to walk again but getting behind Porterfield, a Princeton native, founded Blind Faith Ministries, a nonprofit the wheel of a racecar again. group that conducts missionary trips in places including Sudan, Uganda, and Brazil. He sometimes travels with the organization, which requires extra In 2013, Gardner received an invitation to work, like arranging transportation or escorts through the airport. This hasn’t attend a track day at Mid-Ohio Sports Car stopped him. Course, the very track where his life was threatened and spared. He showed the While the organization also sometimes helps secure water and food for those invitation to his wife, who asked him, “Do in need, Porterfield said its principal focus is “doing the foundational work of you want to go? I’ll get this for you for our what the Bible has told me to do” — baptizing new followers and teaching them anniversary gift if you want to go.” the Bible. Gardner was surprised and appreciated the “If you try to do everything, you won’t be successful at getting anything done, encouragement from his wife to get back on because the needs there are so overwhelming,” he said. the track. He did. Though this time driving a car would be a little different. He said he’d like to be a role model for the blind, but more so for those not afraid to speak their mind. “I discovered that I could drive on the track again with hand controls,” he said. “I’d like to be a role model for people that want to stand up for what they believe,” he said. “Not just limited to the scope of their vision, but the scope of Instead of using his feet to compress the their faith. To the scope of the fact that it’s OK to be a male, that it’s OK to be acceleration and brake pedals, Gardner uses a voice, that it’s OK not to give in to constitutional liberalism and socialism.” a device attached near the steering wheel that controls the operation of the vehicle. On The road to Charleston the steering wheel are buttons that shift the Porterfield said he was first spurred to run for office after a dispute with his car into different gears. family’s OB-GYN, and the actions of a Mercer County magistrate who granted (See Blind p7) (See Racer p6) Page 5 (Racer continued from p5) He still races cars today in the Ohio area. Duckworth has her revenge “I never lost my desire,” Gardner said. “I absolutely loved sports car racing and didn’t on lousy airline service intend for it to end the way that it did. I have Source: Crain’s Chicago Business unfinished business. There’s a big chapter that I need to complete.” After having had her wheelchair trashed twice by sloppy handlers, the senator does what a senator can do: pass a law requiring public (Blind continued from p7) disclosure of airline baggage woes.

Porterfield likes to talk (“as a preacher, I’m From time to time, most of us have problems one of the long-winded ones”) and has no with an airline, be it a canceled flight, lousy qualms saying what’s on his mind: “Wait till food, weather delays or a lovely middle seat they get a hold of me in the Legislature.” when you were promised a window—and you couldn’t do much about it beyond bay at the moon.

Well, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., has a story for you. And while everyone can’t be elected a senator, you may be able to relate.

Duckworth, as most people know, is a double amputee, having lost both of on the her legs in the Iraq War. She can walk with crutches, but generally uses a wheelchair for longer trips. Except, that is, when her airline manages to trash the wheeled device.

Duckworth says such a thing has happened twice to her since she joined Congress, first as a representative and since 2016 as a senator. The most recent incident came last year when the airline—Duckworth didn’t say which— somehow broke a titanium rod that holds the wheelchair together.

“I don’t know how they did that. I didn’t think you could,” said Duckworth. But they did. And when she tried to sit in her wheelchair upon disembarking, “it collapsed beneath me. . . .I kind of hauled myself and was dragged to the waiting area,” where she sat until an inadequate replacement was found for her motorized chair.

Now, Duckworth is not the only wheelchair user to run into this problem. In fact, in the late days of the Obama administration, the U.S. Department of Transportation actually unveiled a proposed rule requiring carriers to publicly disclose data about how often such damage or entire losses of wheelchairs occur, to let flyers know in advance what their odds of finding truly friendly Earn extra income skies are. But the Trump administration sat on the measure.

The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting Until Duckworth’s incident, that is. She drafted legislation that was included thousands of people across the country to in the new Federal Aviation Administration authorization bill that became law assist with the 2020 Census count. in October requiring final action on the rule. It went into effect this week and requires airlines to disclose how many checked bags, motorized scooters and, There are a variety of temporary jobs, yes, wheelchairs they damage or mishandle each month. including census takers, recruiting assistants, office staff, and supervisory staff. Tobe Says the senator: “I know from personal experience that when an airline eligible, you must be at least 18 years old, damages a wheelchair, it is more than a simple inconvenience—it’s a complete have a valid Social Security number, and be loss of mobility and independence. It was the equivalent of taking my legs a U.S. citizen. away from me again. No air traveler should be left in the lurch, immobile on a plane.” For more information and to apply online visit the US Census website at: 2020census.gov/ Now, if you can do something to make it easier to use my miles, Senator? jobs Page 6 (Blind continued from p5) (Blind continued from previous column) a protective order against Porterfield. biotechnology, he would likely never see again. By Porterfield’s account, he saw a post from the doctor in2016 favoring abortion rights. He said he told her in a Facebook message that, if she As time went by, he started to work things out. didn’t change to an anti-abortion position, he’d organize an economic boycott He uses a cane to get around. His brother of her practice. and sister-in-law live across the street and look out for him. He relies on technology to The situation escalated to the point of him filming a Facebook video calling for help with emails and texts. He’ll probably hire the boycott, and the doctor obtaining a protective service order from Magistrate an assistant for the legislative session. And Sandra Dorsey against Porterfield in court. Mercer County sheriff’s deputies even without a sense of sight, he said he still then confiscated guns owned by Porterfield and his wife, Jessica. lives better than 90 percent of the world.

According to a copy of the order’s dismissal, which Porterfield provided along “Adjusting to that was very, very tough, with the initial order and public posts, Porterfield did not make any threats of spiritually, mentally, physically and physical harm, and all of the Porterfields’ weapons were returned. psychologically,” he said. “But with the help of the lord, my family and support system, we Still, Porterfield resents the actions of Dorsey, whom he called an “Oregon managed and started to work through it.” liberal,” even though she was elected as a Republican. It was only after he went blind that he met his “Those are the kind of things why guys like me need to be in politics, because wife, Jessica, who is now the mother of their our local party would never back someone like that if they knew their ideology,” two children. he said. The term disabled, he said, isn’t an offensive Another thing that spurred him to run was the Youth Mental Health Protection term to him, it’s just a reality. He keeps a Act. The 2018 bill, had it passed, would ban the practice of light touch about things — he can’t drive, he on minors. said, “until they get that Braille windshield perfected.” Conversion therapy, which seeks to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, has been condemned by a wide range of medical groups, The general rules are easy enough to follow, including the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric he said — treat people with respect. Association. The bill to ban it had bipartisan support, and several lawmakers attributed its failure to resistance from then-House Speaker Tim Armstead, “If there’s things I missed, that you’re sighted R-Kanawha. and you mock or make fun of those things, then you’ll make me mad and upset me For Porterfield, it’s an issue of free speech. greatly, because all it is is I might need a little extra time or need to look at something here, “To tell someone they cannot counsel from a certain perspective without or I’ve got eyes for me,” he said. “A lot of life offering certain behaviors is just ludicrous,” he said. “I don’t understand how is not rocket science that we complicate.” anyone could be that bigoted and discriminatory.” Family matters Other issues drew him in, as well. He supported repealing the prevailing wage, At just 4 years old, Porterfield’s daughter, he supports right-to-work, he wants to protect Americans’ right to bear arms. Beth, has a philanthropy endeavor of her own: “Beth’s Blessings,” an extension of “Environmentalists, LGBT, gun-control activists, pro-choice, they want to tell Blind Faith, was created to provide farm us all how we have to live,” he said. animals and other goods to Africans during Christmas time. Going dark Porterfield lost his sight at 32 years old. He won’t say exactly what happened, Porterfield also has a son, John Rex but it was the result of trauma, and it occurred 12 years to the day before he Porterfield III, who’s now just a few months took his oath of office. old. They both have the same birthday, June 6, the same day that, in 1944, Allied forces “I can’t fully get into all the details of it, because there’s still some stuff pending invaded the beaches of Normandy, France, on it, but a major altercation with a multitude of men ended up leaving me during World War II. instantaneously blind on December the 10th, 2006,” he said. “I live in freedom and don’t speak German Coming to terms with a life without vision didn’t happen easily. He said it was today because of that,” he said. a rough first Christmas, knowing that, save for some new feat in medicine or (See Blind next column) (See Blind p6) Page 7 Spotlight on labor statistics of people with a disability

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Labor force characteristics of people with a disability

Overall, labor market indicators have improved in the years following the end of the recession. This is true for people with and without a disability. However, these groups experienced different degrees of improvement during this time and continue to have different employment patterns.

This Spotlight examines the labor force characteristics of people with a disability and puts these characteristics in context by comparing them to those of people with no disability.

Labor market continues to improve for people with and without a disability

Major labor market indicators show that the employment situation for people with a disability continues to improve as the expansion endures. Since the CPS began collecting disability data in June 2008, the unemployment rate—the percentage of the labor force that is unemployed—for people with a disability declined from a high of 15.0 percent in 2011 to a low of 9.2 percent in 2017.

Although the labor force participation rate (the percentage of the population who are working or looking for work) and employment-population ratio (the percentage of the population who are employed) for people with a disability have trended up in recent years, these metrics were still below their 2009 levels in 2017.

People without a disability have had a much lower unemployment rate, and substantially higher labor force participation rate and employment-population ratio, than people with a disability.

Older people are more likely to have a disability

The prevalence of disability increases with age. About 3 out of every 10 people age 65 and older, and about 15 percent of people ages 55 to 64, had a disability in 2017. Disability is much less common for people younger than age 55—about 6 percent of people ages 16 to 54 had a disability.

About one-half of people with a disability are age 65 and older

Reflecting the increased prevalence of disability with age, people witha disability tend to be older than people with no disability. Nearly half of all people with a disability were age 65 and older in 2017, three times larger than the share of those with no disability,

About 80 percent of people with a disability are not in the labor force

In 2017, about 8 out of 10 people with a disability were not in the labor force (people who are neither working nor looking for work). In contrast, about 3 out of 10 people without a disability did not participate in the labor force.

Page 8 (See Labor p9) (Labor continued from p8) Many of those with a disability are age 65 and older; older people are, in general, less likely to participate in the labor force than people in younger age groups.

Labor force participation rate is much lower for people with a disability

People with a disability are much less likely to participate in the labor force than people with no disability. In 2017, 20.6 percent of people with a disability participated in the labor force, compared with more than two-thirds of those with no disability.

Although older people in general are less likely to participate in the labor force, even among younger people, those with a disability have markedly lower rates of participation than people with no disability. In 2017, people without a disability ages 16 to 64 were more than twice as likely to participate in the labor force as people with a disability in the same age group, 76.7 percent versus 32.6 percent. Among people age 65 and older, people without a disability were about three times more likely to participate in the labor force than people with a disability, 24.2 percent versus 7.7 percent.

Employment-population ratio for people with a disability is lower than for people with no disability

In 2017, workers with a disability were three times less likely to be employed than workers with no disability, 18.7 percent versus 65.7 percent. The lower ratio among people with a disability reflects, in part, the older age profile of people with a disability; older people, regardless of disability status, are less likely to be employed.

For all age groups, the employment-population ratios are much lower for people with a disability compared with people with no disability. The employment- population ratio for people with a disability ages 16 to 64 was 29.3 percent in 2017, while the rate for people without a disability ages 16 to 64 was more than twice as high, at 73.5 percent. Among people age 65 and older, the ratio was lower for those with a disability than for those without a disability, 7.3 percent versus 23.4 percent.

Regardless of race or ethnicity, workers with a disability are less likely to be employed

Across all major race and ethnicity groups, people with a disability are much less likely to be employed than people without a disability. The prevalence of disability continued to be higher for Whites and Blacks than for Asians and Hispanics in 2017. However, regardless of disability status, Whites and Hispanics were somewhat more likely to be employed than were Blacks and Asians.

Regardless of disability status, those with a bachelor’s degree are more likely to be employed

Among people with and without a disability, those who had completed higher levels of education were more likely to be employed than those with less education. However, people with a disability who had attained at least a bachelor’s degree were still about three times less likely to be employed in 2017 than those with no disability. Across all levels of education, people with a disability are much less likely to be employed than people with no disability.

(See Labor p10) Page 9 (Labor continued from p9) Workers with a disability are more concentrated in service occupations than those with no disability

In 2017, 20.2 percent of people with a disability worked in service occupations, compared with 17.3 percent of people without a disability. Workers with a disability were also more likely to work in production, transportation, and material moving occupations than those without a disability (14.1 percent versus 11.6 percent). People with a disability were less likely to work in professional and related occupations than those without a disability (19.4 percent, compared with 23.3 percent). These occupational employment patterns have changed little since data became available in 2009.

People with a disability are more likely to be self-employed

Employed workers with a disability are more likely to be self-employed than those with no disability. In 2017, 10.6 percent of people with a disability were self-employed, compared with 6.0 percent of people without a disability. (Self-employed here refers only to the self-employed whose businesses are unincorporated; the self-employed with incorporated businesses are included among wage and salary workers.) People with a disability were also more likely to work in government than workers without a disability in 2017—14.4 percent, compared with 13.6 percent. Conversely, a smaller share of workers with a disability were private wage and salary workers than were those with no disability (74.9 percent versus 80.3 percent).

The higher self-employment rate among people with a disability may reflect their older age profile—recall that workers with a disability are more likely to be age 65 and older. Older people have relatively high self-employment rates. In 2017, while 6.2 percent of all workers were self-employed, 16.2 percent of workers age 65 and older were self-employed.

People with a disability are more likely to work part time than people with no disability

In 2017, about one-third of workers with a disability usually worked part time, compared with less than one-fifth of those without a disability. This pattern has persisted since 2009.

In general, regardless of disability status, older workers are more likely to work part time (that is, work less than 35 hours per week) than younger workers. Among workers with a disability, half of those who were age 65 and older worked part time in 2017, compared with nearly 3 in 10 who were ages 16 to 64. Among workers with no disability, 38 percent of those age 65 and older worked part time, compared with 16 percent of those who were ages 16 to 64.

Workers with a disability slightly more likely to work part time involuntarily

People who work part time for economic reasons are often referred to as involuntary part-time workers. Involuntary part-time workers want to work full time but work less than 35 hours per week because their hours were reduced due to slack business conditions or they could not find a full-time job.

In 2017, 5 percent of workers with a disability worked part time involuntarily, compared with about 3 percent of those with no disability. While these percentages decreased for both groups during the economic expansion, workers with a disability continue to work part time for economic reasons at slightly higher rates than workers with no disability. Page 10 (See Labor p11) (Labor continued from p10)

Unemployment rate for people with a disability is more than double that of people with no disability

As the expansion continued in 2017, the unemployment rates for people with a disability and those with no disability declined. However, the unemployment rate for people with a disability was still about twice that of people with no disability in 2017, 9.2 percent compared with 4.2 percent.

Unemployment rates were higher among younger workers regardless of disability status. Among people with a disability in 2017, the unemployment rate for people ages 16 to 64 was 10.0 percent, compared with 5.5 percent for those age 65 and older. Among people with no disability, the unemployment rate was 4.2 percent for those ages 16 to 64 and 3.3 percent for those age 65 and older.

Unemployed with a disability more likely to be labor force reentrants than people with no disability

Unemployed people are further classified by what they were doing before they began looking for work. People who were working before they began their job search would fall into either the job losers category or the job leavers category. People who were doing something else before beginning their job search are classified as either new entrants to the labor force looking for their first job or reentrants to the labor force after a period of labor market inactivity.

In 2017, unemployed people with a disability were more likely to be reentrants to the labor force than unemployed people with no disability (37 percent compared with 29 percent). Unemployed people with no disability were more likely to be new entrants to the labor force than those with a disability (10 percent versus 6 percent).

Again, this may reflect the older age profile of people with a disability. Unemployed people age 65 and older were more likely to be reentrants to the labor force than people ages 16 to 64 (36 percent compared with 29 percent in 2017), and they were less likely to be new entrants than their younger counterparts (2 percent compared with 10 percent).

Regardless of disability status, a small fraction of those not in the labor force want a job

The majority of people with a disability, or 80 percent, were not in the labor force in 2017, which means they were neither working nor looking for work. The low rate of labor force participation among people with a disability partially reflects their older age profile.

Regardless of disability status, the vast majority of those who are not in the labor force do not want a job. Among people who were not in the labor force, about 3 percent of those with a disability and about 7 percent of those without a disability reported they wanted a job in 2017. These figures were slightly higher for those ages 16 to 64, 4 percent of those with a disability and 10 percent of those with no disability. Among people age 65 and older, only about 2 percent of each group reported that they wanted a job.

Page 11 RON YOST PERSONAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES

Nomination for Governing Board

The Ron Yost Personal Assistance Services Act, signed by the Governor on April 1, 1999, chapter eighteen, article 10L of the West Virginia Code, requires the West Virginia Statewide Independent Living Council to establish a standing committee to function as the consumer board to direct the Division of Rehabilitation Services in the implementation of the program.

The law requires that the board be composed of: • individuals with severe disabilities (a physical, mental, or sensory impairment that affects one or more major life activity) • one member of the WVSILC with a disability

No member of the board may receive personal assistance services through this program.

NAME:

ADDRESS:

CITY: COUNTY: STATE: ZIP:

DAY PHONE: EVENING PHONE: FAX:

E-MAIL: *BIRTH DATE: *SEX: *RACE: Cut along line DISABILITY: (Please explain)

* This information is voluntary and is requested only to assist the Council in ensuring diversity on this board. PURPOSE: The purpose of the Ron Yost Personal Assistance Program is to provide funding for individuals with severe disabilities to receive assistance to live in a living arrangement of their choice. Recipients have the right to make decisions regarding the control and provision of their personal assistance services. This includes, but is not limited to, hiring, training, managing, paying, and terminating an assistant’s employment. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE BOARD: • Determine eligibility, need for, and amount of personal assistance services for applicants based on the functional assessments. • Provide direction to the Division of Rehabilitation Services in the implementation of the program. • Address Policy and other governing issues.

Page 12

WVSILC/RYPAS rev. 9-2014 RESPONSIBILITIES OF BOARD MEMBERS: Board members will be expected to: • Attend and participate in all board meetings • Declare any conflict of interest on decisions to be made by the board • Refrain from applying for services provided by the program while serving on the board

Board members will be compensated for allowable expenses incurred as a result of active participation on the board.

PLEASE EXPLAIN YOUR INTEREST IN SERVING ON THE BOARD AND YOUR EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS. ATTACH ADDITIONAL SHEETS IF NEEDED.

Cut along line THREE PEOPLE WHO WOULD RECOMMEND ME FOR A POSITION ON THIS BOARD ARE:

NAME: ADDRESS/ORGANIZATION: DAYTIME PHONE:

Questions regarding the board or the application process may be directed to: Ann McDaniel, Executive Director Telephone: WV Statewide Independent Living Council (304) 766-4624 (voice or TDD) PO Box 625 1-855-855-9743 Institute, WV 25112-0625 Fax: (304) 766-4721

I certify that the information I have given in this application is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge and that I understand and agree to meet my responsibilities as a board member should I be selected to serve.

______Signature of Nominee Date

Page 13

WVSILC/RYPAS rev. 9-2014 WVSILC NONPROFIT P.O. Box 625 ORGANIZATION Institute, WV 25112-0625 U.S. POSTAGE PAID INSTITUTE, WV Permit No. 6

UPCOMING EVENTS Fair Shake Network Legislative Sessions

Annual Legislative Training Day February 5, 2019 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saint John XXIII Pastoral Center 100 Hodges Road, Charleston, WV 25314

Disability Advocacy Day February 6, 2019 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. WV State Capitol Building Greenbrier Street, Charleston, WV

For more information contact Paul Smith PO Box 354 Institute, WV 25112-0354 304-766-0061 or 800-497-4746 Fax 304-766-4721

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to WVSILC. To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device and choose WV Statewide Independent Living Council

Like us: www.facebook.com/wvsilc Follow us @wvsilc