Governor Rick Snyder is asking state departments to hire more people with disabilities.
As The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Jake Neher reports, it’s part of an ongoing effort to promote employment in Michigan for the disabled.
That effort has been led by Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley – whose daughter has a disability. He says stigmas about hiring disabled people and obstructive work environments keep too many talented people out of the workforce.
Calley says the state is one major employer in Michigan that needs to do more to remove those barriers.
“If we want to establish these practices across the entire state, it is important that the state government itself lead by example,” he says.
Among other things, Governor Snyder’s directive would also require state employees to get sensitivity training related to disabled co-workers.