Earlier this year, SourceAmerica^® celebrated 50 years of advocating for employment opportunities for people with disabilities. This milestone provides a natural opportunity to reflect on the strides many workplaces have made over the years to advance disability workforce inclusion. It's also a chance for human resources professionals and employers to address the work that still needs to be done and identify the steps they can take to provide a more inclusive working environment for individuals with disabilities.

Evolution of the disability employment landscape

Disability employment advocacy in the U.S. has deep roots, beginning in the 1800s and accelerating with the 1938 passage of the Wagner-O'Day Act. The law sought to provide job opportunities directing the federal government to buy products made by people who are blind.

In 1971, the law evolved into the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act and enabled the government to purchase services from nonprofit agencies employing people with disabilities other than blindness through the AbilityOne^® Program. This expansion ultimately led to the 1974 establishment of SourceAmerica^®, which connects federal agencies with nonprofit organizations to employ individuals with disabilities. SourceAmerica has now played a vital role in matching talent with meaningful employment over the last 50 years.