Photo By Dianne Ryder | Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Clifford Stanley (left)...... read more read more
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FORT BELVOIR, Va. - The Defense Logistics Agency was recognized as DoD’s best mid-sized agency in its commitment to further equality for individuals with mental and physical disabilities at the 30th annual Disability Awards Ceremony and Forum Dec. 7 in Bethesda, Md.
Wendy Gray, a product data specialist in the acquisition support branch at DLA Land and Maritime, was also one of the 19 DoD employees honored during the ceremony for outstanding contributions to national security. DLA Vice Director Mae DeVincentis accompanied Gray, who was born deaf, to receive her award.
DLA Director of Equal Employment Opportunity Stephanie Credle acknowledged the agency’s longstanding reputation of being an employer of choice for employees with disabilities.
“The good thing is that DLA has won this [honor] several years in a row, and we’re very proud of that accomplishment,” she said. “Part of what we do in EEO is [to strive for] the inclusion of everyone into the workplace, diverse individuals, people who are able to add to our mission and our accomplishments.”
She said people with disabilities lend a lot of talent to the agency’s workforce.
“Unfortunately, they are the most underrepresented group of people in the United States,” she said. “So it is our goal to increase representation in DLA, and I’m just excited that we are, at this point, the leader in DoD for this award.”
Although DLA is continually lauded for its high rate of employing those with disabilities, Credle said she hopes the agency can do even more.
“It is a passion of ours, because we believe that doing this is not only the right thing to do, but it’s the absolute best thing to do … to meet our goals and meet the mission that we have to support the warfighters,” Credle said.
Clifford L. Stanley, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, delivered keynote remarks at the ceremony.
"I am somewhat routinely frustrated by a bureaucracy that coins terms like, 'hiring reform,' to get people into the system faster," he said. "I don't even want to tell you what our percentage is of disabled employees at the Defense Department, because I'm not too happy about it."
Stanley said the department is doing a "pretty good" job in its hiring of talented disabled employees, but it could be doing be a lot better.
"We need to do a better job of finding people," Stanley said, noting that he goes to sleep "each night thinking about how I can make this day better" in the hiring of disabled civilians and former servicemembers.
Stanley partly blames a bureaucratic system that he believes "doesn't want to move the way you think it should move."
"It shouldn't take as long as it does to hire people," he said, noting that talent "is not a function of eyesight, walking, hands and arms."
Stanley has an emotional stake in helping people with disabilities. In Wheaton, Md., in April 1975, a gunman shot and killed his uncle and wounded his wife, Rosalyn, leaving her partially paralyzed.
"Talent is a function of what's going on in here," Stanley said, pointing to his head. "And I want to underscore 'spirit.' Spirit is the motivation that gets you over the hump each day."
When people love what they're doing and love their country, "you'd be surprised at the heights you'd go to, no matter what your disability might be, to make a difference for our nation," he said.
The undersecretary told the audience he wanted to "plant that seed," as he introduced Army Capt. Ivan Castro, an active-duty soldier who is blind.
Castro told the audience his story of serving near Baghdad in September 2006 when he had just released two of his men from an observation post. Minutes later, mortars landed near him.
Castro's injuries were myriad and severe, he said, and in the end, the doctors could not save his eyesight.
The wounded warrior said he set out on a mission to stop feeling sorry for himself and to learn to walk again and live independently. After intensive physical and occupational therapies, Castro said, he developed many everyday skills, including how to use a computer and send e-mail.
"Because technology changes all the time, I consider myself a work in progress," he said.
Castro also developed his physical skills, logging four Army 10-milers, five half-marathons, 13 marathons, and several other running, biking and hiking feats.
But the best was yet to come.
Castro connected with the Computer/Electronics Accommodations Program, a federal initiative that equips federal disabled employees and service members – with disabilities ranging from dexterity issues to cognitive difficulties, vision loss, and hearing impairments -- to perform tasks. CAP uses assistive technology devices, equipment and training to help them recover and transition into employment.
Castro was able to return to active-duty with the Army.
"Thanks to a change in military culture and mindset," he said, "some of us [disabled service members] have been able to sustain life-threatening injuries and deploy back into combat" or serve in other military assignments.
Today, as of one of three active-duty service members who are blind, Castro is an officer in the Special Operations Recruiting Battalion at Fort Bragg, N.C.
"We are honoring, today, our disabled [employees], but there's more to it than just that," Stanley said. "My wife reminds me every day that I'm temporarily able. It doesn't take much -- for any of us here -- for circumstances [to change and] find you in a way you didn't anticipate."
Department officials awarded 19 civilians and service members with disabilities for their outstanding service, and four agencies for their commitments to "further equality to individuals with mental and physical disabilities."
The Department of the Navy won the award for best military department for 2010; the National Security Agency took the best intelligence component for the year; and the defense Office of Inspector General won in the best small agency category for the year.
| Date Taken: | 12.10.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 12.15.2010 23:10 |
| Story ID: | 62049 |
| Location: | FORT BELVOIR, US |
| Web Views: | 56 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, DLA recognized as leader in hiring people with disabilities, by Dianne Ryder, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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