Since World War II, vocational rehabilitation for people with disabilities has been a goal of federally funded programs in all 50 states.
But, too often, it's been an unrealized goal.
Some estimates suggest close to 75 percent of people with disabilities are either unemployed or underemployed.
Dr. Al Condeluci, Ph.D., will be the guest speaker at "Employment Through Social Capital," the first of a series of events aimed at providing a forum for networking and solving employment challenges for people with disabilities.
Sponsored by Hattie Larlham Research Institute, the event will take place April 23 at Kent State University's Whitehall building from 9 a.m. to noon.
The cost is $35, but university students may attend for free. The cost includes refreshments, parking and materials.
Condeluci's lecture will explore reasons why the nation's systems have not been more successful in helping prepare people with disabilities for work, define and delineate the concept of social capital, and offer a community building perspective designed to shift the culture to be more inclusive and supportive.
Following his lecture, he will participate in a panel discussion titled "Problems and Solutions in Employing People with Disabilities."
To register, call Phylliss L. Steiner, Hattie Larlham Research Institute's director of creative arts, at 1-800-233-8611 ext. 3013.