People with disabilities who have had experience in the workforce before understand this very well, she says. Three such people were involved in the Face to Face program, but all wished to remain anonymous. Stanton says there are still physical-access issues employers don't want to deal with, and that a disabled person may easily get knocked off a candidates' list because of the misconception that hiring them would create more work and add cost. Too many people still have the wrong idea that folks with disabilities won't be able to do their jobs without some sort of help, he says. I think we're all guilty of it in a way.
People have to confront the fact.
Once they spend time with someone with a disability, they realize that just because they're different, they don't necessarily function differently or have less skills for the job. Stanton, who has been involved in National Access Awareness Week since its beginning in 1988, believes these attitudinal barriers are falling. She was overwhelmed by the positive response the Face to Face program got this year from local businesses. I think I've seen a lot of changes in attitudes over the past seven years. This really enthusiastic response, we might not have gotten that five years ago.