James Schmeling on the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act
James Schmeling, J.D., Managing Director for Programming and Co-Founder of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University, reflects on the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and its impact on veterans.
“Military service members may join the ranks of people with disabilities as a result of their service, and the American’s with Disabilities Act protects their rights to fully participate in society, to pursue careers, to engage in their communities, and requires the removal of societal and institutional barriers to that participation. Most people don’t realize, however, that many times reductions in stigma and discrimination, advances in assistive technology–in prosthetics, in mobility technology and vehicle innovation–arise after wars, when we bring our service members home and when they want to carry on with their lives.”
Schmeling adds, “The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) starting on July 25 , provides exactly that opportunity, to carry on with their lives. Our veterans will start businesses serving retail customers, inventing new technologies, supplying other companies, and as government contractors. Veteran-owned businesses are represented in every sector of our economy, and disability often provides a motivation or inspiration for a new invention or business service that can benefit not only the veteran but society at large. Disability, far from being a barrier to entrepreneurship, is a factor along with military service that predicts success in entrepreneurial endeavors.”
“Those of us who work for the Institute for Veterans and Military Families and Syracuse University are proud to provide education and training for our veterans that will lead to their business success.”
James Schmeling can be reached at jschmeli@syr.edu