As Georgia's economy surges, how will people with disabilities benefit?
When Mark Perriello took the reins of leadership at the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), he promised to ensure the voices of his 50 million constituents were heard in the halls of state governments across the U.S. We talked about Periello’s background in building grassroots support last December. In a couple of weeks, he will put those skills on display during an speaking appearance at the 14th Annual Disability Day in Atlanta, Georgia.
Editor Jonathan Copsey’s preview of the event in the Milton Herald anticipates over 2,000 participants in the rally, which will take place on the steps of the Capitol on Thursday, February 16, starting at 11 am. The theme for this year’s Rally is “My Life is FOR REAL!” Copsey writes that the emphasis will be on the importance of getting people with disabilities “into the community where they can live, learn, work, play and worship.”
Periello’s appearance and the rally’s message come at a time when the state of Georgia is experiencing an uptick in its manufacturing sector. While David Markiewicz tempers optimism with questions about the sustainability of such gains in his Biz Beat blog for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the numbers do indicate a net positive:
The Georgia Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), a monthly snapshot that takes into account five variables including new orders, production, employment, supply deliveries and finished inventory, increased to 52.3 last month, up 4.9 points from December. A PMI reading above 50 indicates that manufacturing activity is expanding. A reading below 50 indicates it is contracting.
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal is looking to capitalize on the momentum with the introduction of a bill last week that increases economic incentives for manufacturing, among other industries. In an article in the print version of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution co-written by J. Scott Trubey and Christopher Quinn, economic development commissioner Chris Cummiskey says he thinks this will help Georgia compete against other states with more discretionary funds:
Georgia’s assets include its Quick Start jobs training program, ports, rail and highways that other states can’t match, [Cummisky] said.
One of those neighbors is Tennessee, where lawmakers are taking a personal interest in the work people with disabilities are doing in this sector. The Oak Ridger reporter Leean Tupper accompanies Rep. Chuck Fleischmann to one workshop that employs 75 people with disabilities to do work for eight different local companies. Tupper talks to the coordinator, David Brooks, who explains:
The work involves assembly and packaging of small car parts; assembly and packaging of small tubes of beads; and mailings… ‘We do as much as any factory out there, and the work just keeps coming in,’ Brooks said.
That’s the kind of news advocates for people with disabilities in Georgia hope follow Periello’s appearance on the Capitol steps later this month.
Comments?
Image by Paige Connors of American Training, Inc.
Hello admin, i must say you have very interesting articles here.
Your blog should go viral. You need initial traffic only.
How to get it? Search for: Mertiso’s tips go viral