By Brett Dunlap
For The Parkersburg News and Sentinel
PARKERSBURG – The Wood County Commission is recognizing all of the contributions people with disabilities make to the community, as it unanimously passed a proclamation Thursday declaring October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
The 2026 theme for the month, set by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, is “Celebrating Value and Talent,” honoring the contributions of Americans with disabilities as our nation marks its 250th birthday, according to the proclamation.
Doug Hess, chief operating manager for The Arc of the Mid-Ohio Valley, and other representatives of organizations that help people find opportunities in the community appeared before the commission to talk about how those with different disabilities contribute to the community as a whole.
“We want to recognize that people with developmental disabilities can work in the community just like everyone else does,” Hess said.
The other organization present Thursday was Westbrook Health Services, while other represented programs of the Arc included its thrift shop, People First of West Virginia and WV Birth to Three.
Wood County has been and continues to be committed to fostering an inclusive community for people with and without disabilities, the proclamation passed by the county said.
There are people who work at the Bureau of Fiscal Services, Woodcraft and other businesses and organizations throughout the community independently and through supported employment programs, Hess said. A number of people have programs available to them that allow them to live and work in the community as well as attend concerts and more.
Among West Virginians with cognitive disabilities, only 32.5% are employed, compared with 73.7% of those without cognitive disabilities, according to the proclamation.
The Arc of the Mid Ohio Valley operates its thrift shop and an Artistic Opportunity Center, which provides outlets for people to sell their artwork to supplement their income, and these programs offer inclusive employment and vocational training opportunities for people with and without disabilities, officials said.
Commissioner Jimmy Colombo said the Arc reaches out and touches thousands of people in the community.
According to the Annual Disability Statistics Compendium (2024 data), 38.9% of West Virginians with disabilities ages 18 to 64 are employed, compared with 76.7% of those without disabilities, the lowest employment rate for people with disabilities of any state, according to the proclamation.
“We call upon employers, schools, and community organizations in Wood County to observe this month with appropriate programs and activities, and to advance the message that people with disabilities bring value and talent to our workplaces and communities throughout the year,” the proclamation signed by the commission stated.
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