On Memorial Day, Let’s Embrace Diversity & Inclusion

By: Stephanie Diana Eubank

Earlier this month, my family and I took a trip to our local Air Museum in Atwater, California, on what is called, “Cockpit” Day.   My husband, who is a former Marine Helicopter Mechanic, thought it would be a fun outing as a family and a rare opportunity to share his service experience with us.  For those not familiar with my Instagram page, my husband is a disabled Veteran who has both mobility issues due to an injury and ADHD issues.  With his mobility issues, he cannot stand with or without a cane for more than ten minutes at a time and can only do about 100 meters of movement on a good day with frequent breaks.  Which is why he has a powerchair as his accommodation.  On this trip to the air museum seeing the old Cobra model helicopter he used to work on during his service moved him so much.  He stood even though I could see the pain and limp with his cane as he gave me and our sons a tour of the machine.  I recorded it, and it can be accessed @googlephotos at https://photos.app.goo.gl/QgNFS8j2ArrSUaU97

This was a moving moment and experience with my family, and at this time of the year, when we remember those in the armed forces, especially those who have passed, it made me think about those who made it home.  Even today, concepts in diversity and inclusion still have to contend with an unconscious bias regarding disabled workers, per the Bureau of Labor and Statistics or BLS news release dated March 21st, 2023 (which you can find at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/vet.pdf).  According to this news release of those who have served during and post 9/11/01, these veterans make up 27% of the Veteran population, and 27% are disabled in some capacity due to service-related injuries. 

Of the total US population, disabled Veterans have a 2.8% unemployment rate compared to the national average of non-disabled workers of 3.6%. Although according to the BLS, 27% of the US population is disabled, and only 17% are currently working.  This is up from 13% before COVID, which is largely due to the rise in remote work opportunities.  Although the report goes on to show that Veterans make up only 7% of the entire US population. This included frightening statistics about how many of our Veterans are institutionalized. 

As we move forward in the Summertime and go on to celebrate Memorial Day, The 4^th of July, and Veterans Day, let’s remember that remote work offers a unique opportunity to help these people apply unique talents to our workforce and remember that diversity and inclusion is a benefit of remote work. 

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Work Cited

US Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor and Statistics . (2023, March 21). EMPLOYMENT SITUATION OF VETERANS — 2022  . US Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor and Statistics . Retrieved May 28, 2023, from https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/vet.pdf.