New Delaware jobs law focuses on the disabled

A new Delaware jobs bill signed into law is aimed helping the disabled and returning veterans with disabilities.

Delaware Governor Jack Markell signed the bill into law to a huge reception at the Bank of America Support Services Center in Newark.

“People with disabilities consistently demonstrate their abilities and value to our society. Often though, they don’t have the opportunity to choose where or whether they would like to work,” said Rep.Debra Heffernan (D-Brandywine), who sponsored the bill.   She says the idea behind the bill is to create a more level playing field when they apply for jobs.

Bank of America kept the support services center that had been created before its merger with MBNA.  The center has a large number of disabled workers.  Heffernan told the group that as the mother of a disabled teen, she wanted to give them an opportunity to live independently.  “This is a national movement,” she said.

It is also a priority for Governor Markell who has made it part of the platform during his year as head of the National Governor’s Association.  He sited a Walgreens distribution center in Connecticut as an example of how the bill can work.