The brief history and rationale for gathering a diverse group of experts for a bold new effort!

The World Institute on Disability (WID) was established in 1983 to address the inequities faced by people with disabilities in all aspects of society worldwide.  Since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, many elements of social inclusion-e.g., education, community participation and government involvement-have shown increased inclusion of people with disabilities.  However, economic equity and prosperity through equal employment and asset building has not only lagged behind society in general but has lost ground since 1970.

WID’s Board of Directors has chosen to make economic growth and prosperity for people with disabilities the primary objective of WID’s work for the foreseeable future because we believe there is much to be done that has not yet been done to address this reality. To that end, WID has established the Center on Economic Growth (CEG) to begin to explore and address these inequities.

Advisory Panel:

Central to the organization of the Center on Economic Growth is the establishment of an Advisory Panel comprised of leaders who are known experts in their respective fields related to economics, economic development, disability benefits, employment and labor issues, business, employment preparation including vocational rehabilitation, academic resources, job training, financial planning, and barriers to social and economic participation by people with disabilities.

These individuals will serve for an initial one-year period as the core of the Center; their names lending credibility to the Center’s work and their knowledge directing and shaping outcomes by:

• serving as a thought incubator and sounding board for Center staff on modernizing concepts surrounding economic growth for people with disabilities;
• considering the need for research and pilot recommendations required to determine the validity of existing values, government programs, employer practices and their impact on people with disabilities;
• reviewing and guiding the wide dissemination of final recommendations generated during the planning process;
• leading change by suggesting actions on new policy ideas or by promoting already existing concepts that heretofore have not found paths to implementation; and,
• guiding the funding process by making connections with potential funders.