Orange County supervisors mark Disability Employment Awareness Month; advocate for inclusive hiring

Orange County supervisors on Oct. 28 recognized October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month and urged wider use of programs that help people with disabilities find and keep work.

Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento introduced the presentation, noting the 2025 theme “Value and Talent,” and invited representatives from Disability Rights California and other local agencies. Sarmiento said California has “over 7,000,000 adults with disabilities” and that nearly 279,000 Orange County residents live with a disability; he told the board that people with disabilities are twice as likely to be unemployed and urged inclusive hiring and advancement opportunities.

Scott Baron, who identified himself as a coordinator with Disability Rights California’s peer self-advocacy unit, told the board he has worked at the organization for 16 years and described early obstacles to employment and how job-placement programs helped him. “Make us part of the workforce,” Baron said, urging the county to consider funding supports and to use people with disabilities in consulting roles because “we know what we need.”

Vice Chair Katrina Foley and other supervisors praised local nonprofit partners — including Goodwill of Orange County and the Regional Center of Orange County — for job-placement and supported connecting more employers with training programs such as Project Independence.

The recognition included a call for continued investment in supports ranging from job coaching and resume assistance to policies that address discrimination and underfunding. The presentation concluded with supervisors encouraging employers and county departments to expand inclusive-hiring practices.

The board did not take any formal policy action tied to the presentation; supervisors said they would continue to highlight and coordinate with local agencies that place and train workers with disabilities.