Veterans
What are some things vets can do?
- For more information, go the the Making Work Happen website [makingworkhappen.com] and find the Veterans Tutorial.
- Think through how you want to talk about your disability or disclose it. Unless you are asking for an accommodation, you do not have to disclose your disability to an employer either during hiring or employment. Whether you decide to disclose depends on a number of factors: Your feelings about your disability, whether you need a workplace a
What are some things employers can do?
- For more information on this, go to the Making Work Happen website [makingworkhappen.com] and find the employer’s a tutorial on veterans with disabilities in the workplace.
- Consider the workplace climate and culture. Is there a climate of trust and openness around disability and accommodation? What actually happens to people with disabilities when they come forward with an accommodation request? Is there a quick and effective response? Or is this the first road to termination? What happens to people with d
Are returning vets with disabilities covered by the ADA?
- Returning veterans with disabilities are not automatically covered under the ADA. Their disability must meet the ADA’s definition of disability: A mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity.Â
- In most cases, however, disabilities such as PTSD, TBI or depression would be covered under the ADA.
- There are two EEOC documenst which can help clarify these issues.Â
- One of these is for employers-Veterans and the Americ
What about the employment rates by severity of disability?
- 35.1% of veterans with a service-connected disability have a disability rating of 50% or higher (410,700).
- Veterans with a service connected disability rating of 50% or higher have significantly lower rates of employment that those with ratings of 0 to 40%.
- Only 25% of the 131,900 veterans with a service connected rating of 70% or higher are employed.
Are veterans with disabilities employed?
The employment rate of veterans with disabilities is significantly lower than that of veterans without disabilities. Only about a third of veterans with a disability (32%), compared with over three-quarters of veterans without disabilities. The employment rate of the civilian population is 71%.
Why is the disability rate higher among Gulf War era II vets than among vets from previous engagements?
- Greater awareness. Clearly, we have an enhanced capability to diagnose and report vets with conditions such as PTSD and TBI.
- Earlier generations of vets may not have had these diagnoses.
- More dangerous combat conditions. The engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan were dangerous and stressful, often with little predictability of where attacks would come from and who the enemy was.