Polis signs bill creating program to hire the disabled

Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill last month that allows employers to adopt policies to favor hiring veterans, and last week he did something similar for the disabled.

While House Bill 1065 that the governor signed in late June applies to all private employers in hiring veterans or their spouses, this bill only creates a pilot program within the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, and only for people with disabilities who apply for jobs there.

But if the Disability Hiring Preference Pilot program in Senate Bill 95 proves successful, it would be extended to all other state agencies.

“Coloradans with disabilities are often denied the opportunity to advance their careers, with significant negative effects on their financial well-being due to widespread misperceptions about their abilities,” said Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera. “As a result, employers miss the opportunity to hire qualified candidates, hindering their ability to grow in a labor market increasingly characterized by severe skills gaps.”

Read more: https://www.gjsentinel.com/news/western_colorado/polis-signs-bill-creating-program-to-hire-the-disabled/article_9097292c-da88-11eb-97a5-b7f91161bca7.html
(Grand Junction Daily Sentinel)