“We know there’s a real stigma that runs rampant in society. When a person with a disability is employed, it’s seen as just in name only, and the average disabled worker is seen as less efficient and less productive. And that stigma needs to be removed. We are talented, and we are making a difference. More doors to business and opportunity should open to more people with disabilities. That’s good for the state and a win for everyone.”
— State Rep. Josh Turek of Council Bluffs
Facing a severe labor shortage, Iowa employers, from small businesses to large corporations, are looking for more employees.
Iowa’s disability community is a vastly underutilized resource.
But that could change, said Rep. Josh Turek, D-Council Bluffs, Iowa’s first state legislator with a permanent, visible disability.
The Iowa Mercury recently interviewed Turek, a respected and influential figure on disability issues in both parties.
The Q&A session is as follows:
Iowa Mercury: Senator Turek, tell us more about your background.
Josh Turek: I was born and raised in Council Bluffs, Iowa. I was born with spina bifida, and by the time I was 12, I had 21 surgeries.
I grew up in a large family, poor, with a disability, and had a tough childhood. In fact, I was bullied so much that I ended up dropping out of public school in the sixth grade. In the seventh grade, I discovered adaptive sports and wheelchair basketball, and I can honestly say that it saved my life. It gave me a purpose. It gave me a social network. It gave me self-esteem, and it helped me excel in my field.
I’ve spent most of my adult life playing professional wheelchair basketball on every continent on earth except Antarctica, competed in four Paralympics winning two gold medals and one bronze medal with the U.S., and have worked in nonprofits with people with disabilities, particularly kids in adaptive sports.
There, I was motivated to run because I saw a lack of representation and voice for the entire population: 15% of the population is permanently disabled, and I also saw the lack of access to medical care and mobility equipment in Iowa since the transition to a managed care organization.
Iowa Mercury: What was it like representing your country at the Paralympics?
Josh Turek has won three Paralympic medals, two gold and one bronze. (Photo courtesy of Congressman Turek)
Josh Turek: I always say that the proudest moment of my life was being able to represent not only my country, but my state, my region, my family at the Paralympics, and win a gold medal, which was my ultimate goal. We hadn’t won a gold medal in 28 years. So it was the honor of a lifetime to be a part of that team and to represent Council Bluffs, the state of Iowa and the entire country in athletics.
Iowa Mercury: As you mentioned, you are the first permanently visibly disabled legislator in Iowa history, which is a big responsibility given the large disabled population.
Josh Turek: Depending on what metric you use, the number of people who are permanently disabled in Iowa is anywhere from 15% to 23% of the population. That’s a significant percentage of the population. And so many of those people have absolutely no voice or representation in their government. I think that’s one of the main reasons why our health care and employment numbers are in the situation they are.
But to me, it’s a tragedy that we’ve had no representation for people with disabilities in Iowa for 160 years. It’s a huge responsibility. It’s a special privilege and an opportunity for anybody with a disability, whether it’s a traveling child or a disabled veteran, to see me in the Capitol and know that there are others out there who struggle with similar conditions.
Iowa Mercury: So, in terms of the disability community, what is the employment rate? My understanding is that the employment rate in the disability community is surprisingly low, so there is potential there.
Josh Turek: It varies greatly by state. Here in Iowa, we use a number of metrics depending on how we define disability, but between 7% and 15% of people with disabilities are working full-time and gainfully. But again, it varies greatly by state. For example, in Colorado, between 41% and 43% of people with disabilities are currently working. We can strive to achieve and continue to improve these high numbers.
Iowa Mercury: It sounds like there are a lot of opportunities. What are the barriers to those opportunities, not just for people with disabilities in the state, but for businesses that really need workers and are struggling right now? With low unemployment, it’s hard to find workers, threatening the survival of many businesses, at least their survival in Iowa.
Josh Turek: In terms of opportunity, as you say, the opportunity is enormous.
We’re only employing 7% of 15% of the population. That’s a huge percentage that we’re not employing. We also have a unique opportunity, something we haven’t had historically, to focus on diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
But in terms of actual functionality, the second, and probably more important, is that we finally have the opportunity post-COVID-19 to actually be able to work remotely without the transportation issue, which has been one of the biggest obstacles for people with disabilities.
Now, in terms of barriers, they are broad-based, and as I said it varies by state, I think the main barriers on this are solely policy.
State Assemblyman Josh Turek speaks at the Harkin Institute. (Photo by Douglas Burns)
The vast majority of these people are on Medicaid and need to maintain their health insurance, which is the most important part, almost to the exclusion of everything else that is largely irrelevant.
They can’t work unless they keep their health insurance. In Iowa, because of asset and income limits, even people with master’s degrees and PhDs can’t work even if they want to.
We are impoverishing them and disincentivizing these people to work because of the fear of losing their health insurance.And states that are doing very well, like Colorado, for example, have smart policies in place that allow them to change the income and asset limits through their Medicaid program.
Iowa Mercury: What else can employers do to attract and retain talented people with disabilities, while being aware of differences, job descriptions, building space and other factors?
Josh Turek: Every person with a disability is unique, and every person has a completely different skill set and completely different barriers. So it’s important to have effective conversations with these people, even if they’re sometimes awkward and tricky conversations. Ask, “Okay, if you’re part of the blind community, what do you need? What barriers do you have? What do you need technology-wise, transportation-wise?” People who are deaf need different things. People with intellectual disabilities need different things. People with physical disabilities need mobility devices. These are the kinds of things that employers should focus on.
But most importantly, recognize the enormous benefits of this competitive, integrated employment model. Not only is it the right thing to do from a business perspective, it’s the morally right thing to do and the right thing to do. It’s also good for the bottom line, which is what companies care about. It also improves the work environment and company culture. It’s a net profit all around.
Iowa Mercury: Are there things that people do or say around people with disabilities or visibly disabled people like you that really baffle or make you feel uncomfortable? And how do you hope people will correct those mistakes, offenses, or oversights, regardless of how we express them?
Josh Turek: Although it’s not directly said or seen in most cases, we know there is a real bias that pervades society. When people with disabilities are employed, it’s assumed to be merely in name only – that the average disabled worker is less efficient and less productive. And that bias needs to be removed. We have talent, and we make a difference. More doors to business and opportunity should be opened to more people with disabilities. That’s good for the state and a win for everyone.
This column originally appeared on Douglas Burns’ blog, The Iowa Mercury. It is shared here via the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative.
Editor’s note: Please consider supporting the work of the Iowa Writers Collective and its member authors by subscribing to their blogs.