Over half a century ago, when my brother Frank was at the Iowa School for the Deaf, he was told he could be one of three things: a printer, a cobbler, or a baker. He had unlimited potential, but his choices were limited by the societal barriers faced by too many people with disabilities. Our country has changed since then. With the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, we began to tear down those obstacles and expand the opportunities for people with disabilities. We have increased the accessibility of our buildings, streets, parks, beaches, and recreation areas. Today, our books, TVs, telephones, and computers are more accessible. We are on the path toward the full realization of the four goals we set out to achieve with ADA: equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency; however, there is still work to be done.

Unfortunately, one area of American life has been resistant to change: employment and the pathway it provides to participate in the middle class. Twenty-four years after the signing of the ADA, Americans with disabilities remain disproportionately poor and face significant barriers to joining and remaining in the middle class.

This October, we observe National Disability Employment Awareness Month. While we should celebrate the progress that has been made, we must also recognize and confront the very real employment crisis faced by Americans with disabilities. People with disabilities remain far more likely to be impoverished, to be out of the workforce, and to be experiencing the detrimental effects of living in poverty.

On the most important economic measures such as unemployment, workforce participation, annual earnings, and poverty, people with disabilities often are in the worst condition compared to almost any other group. Twice as many Americans with disabilities live in poverty than those without disabilities. Less than 30 percent of working-age Americans with disabilities participate in the workforce, and households with an adult member with a disability earn 38.4 percent less than households without an adult member with a disability. These facts make it clear that people with disabilities are still encountering roadblocks in the path to the middle class and that the ADA's goal of economic self-sufficiency has not yet been achieved.

As chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, I launched an investigation into these roadblocks. I heard from over 400 people with disabilities from across the country, all of whom had or currently live at the poverty level. They reported experiencing employment discrimination, discriminatory wages, inaccessible workplaces, and persistently low expectations about what they can accomplish. They also reported that they often cannot participate in the workforce because they lack reliable, accessible transportation and accessible, affordable housing. To fully realize the vision of the ADA, we as a nation must confront these problems.

Congress needs to do its part to develop strategies to clear the path to the middle class. I am optimistic that we will begin to see the benefits of the 2014 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, passed by my committee, and recently signed into law by the president. The new law requires that schools and vocational rehabilitation programs work together to ensure young people with disabilities develop the skills and knowledge needed in emerging fields. It also provides resources for employers to learn how to support people with disabilities in the workforce and how to provide accommodations so individuals with disabilities can be successful at work. I have also recently introduced three bills, the Universal Home Design Act, the Accessible Transportation for All Act, and the Exercise and Fitness for All Act, to address the physical barriers to employment that people with disabilities still experience.

At the same time, we can all work to eliminate attitudinal barriers by celebrating the many contributions of America's workers with disabilities and educating others about disability employment issues. The time for America to shed narrow views about people with disabilities - prejudices that limited the opportunities for my brother and continue to limit the opportunities for countless others - is well overdue. Together, we can take the needed steps towards ensuring opportunity for all.

To read my report on disability and poverty visit: http://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/HELP%20Committee%20Disability%20and%20Poverty%20Report.pdf. You can also learn more about ways to observe Disability Employment Awareness Month by visiting the Department of Labor website: http://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/ndeam/index-2014.htm.

A PDF version of this article can be found here.

Everyone says they want innovation in their organization, but when an ambitious employee offers it to a CEO, for example, the idea is often shot down, says Neal Thornberry, Ph.D., faculty director for innovation initiatives at the Naval Postgraduate School in California.

"Senior leaders often miss the value-creating potential of a new concept because they either don't take the time to really listen and delve into it, or the innovating employee presents it in the wrong way," says Thornberry, who recently published "Innovation Judo," (www.NealThornberry.com), based on his years of experience teaching innovation at Babson College and advising an array of corporate clients, from the Ford Co. and IBM to Cisco Systems.

"Innovation should be presented as opportunities, not ideas. Opportunities have gravitas while ideas do not!"

Thornberry outlines a template for innovation that works:

•  Intention: Once the "why" is answered, leaders have the beginnings of a legitimate roadmap to innovation's fruition. This is no small task and requires some soul searching.

"I once worked with an executive committee, and I got six different ideas for what 'innovation' meant," he says. "One wanted new products, another focused on creative cost-cutting, and the president wanted a more innovative culture. The group needed to agree on their intent before anything else."

•  Infrastructure: This is where you designate who is responsible for what. It's tough, because the average employee will not risk new responsibility and potential risk without incentive. Some companies create units specifically focused on innovation, while others try to change the company culture in order to foster innovation throughout.  "Creating a culture takes too long," Thornberry says. "Don't wait for that."

•  Investigation: What do you know about the problem? IDEO may be the world's premier organization for investigating innovative solutions. Suffice to say that the organization doesn't skimp on collecting and analyzing data. At this point, data collection is crucial, whereas brainstorming often proves to be a waste of time if the participants come in with the same ideas, knowledge and opinions that they had last week with no new learning in their pockets.

•  Ideation: The fourth step is also the most fun and, unfortunately, is the part many companies leap to. This is dangerous because you may uncover many exciting and good ideas, but if the right context and focus aren't provided up front, and team members cannot get on the same page, then a company is wasting its time. That is why intent must be the first step for any company seeking to increase innovation. Innovation should be viewed as a set of tools or processes, and not a destination.

•  Identification: Here's where the rubber meets the road on innovation. Whereas the previous step was creative, now logic and subtraction must be applied to focus on a result. Again, ideas are great, but they must be grounded in reality. An entrepreneurial attitude is required here, one that enables the winnowing of ideas, leaving only those with real value-creating potential.

"Innovation without the entrepreneurial mindset is fun but folly," Thornberry notes.

•  Infection: Does anyone care about what you've come up with? Will excitement spread during this infection phase? Now is the time to find out. Pilot testing, experimentation and speaking directly with potential customers begin to give you an idea of how innovative and valuable an idea is. This phase is part selling, part research and part science. If people can't feel, touch or experience your new idea in part or whole, they probably won't get it. This is where the innovator has a chance to reshape their idea into an opportunity, mitigate risk, assess resistance and build allies for their endeavor.

•  Implementation/Integration: While many talk about this final phase, they often fail to address the integration part. Implementation refers to tactics that are employed in order to put an idea into practice. This is actually a perilous phase because, in order for implementation to be successful, the idea must first be successfully integrated with other activities in the business and aligned with strategy. An innovation, despite its support from the top, can still fail if a department cannot work with it.

About Neal Thornberry, Ph.D.

Neal Thornberry, Ph.D., is the founder and CEO of IMSTRAT, LLC a consulting firm that specializes in helping private and public sector organizations develop innovation strategies. A respected thought leader in innovation, Thornberry is a highly sought-after international speaker and consultant. He  also serves as the faculty director for innovation initiatives at the Center for Executive Education at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. Thornberry, author of "InnovationJudo:Disarming Roadblocks & Blockheads on the Path to Creativity" (www.NealThornberry.com), holds a doctorate in organizational psychology and specializes in innovation, corporate entrepreneurship, leadership and organizational transformation.

Quad Cities, IA/IL: Hundreds of Red Kettle Campaign bell ringers will be needed this season to help stand all fifty Quad Cities Red Kettle Locations. The hours can be as few as 8 hours per week, and as many as 40 hours per week. The bell ringing campaign will begin Friday, November 7, 2014.

The applications will be taken in ROCK ISLAND COUNTY beginning October 6th:

2200 -5th Avenue, Moline, IL

Monday through Friday 9am - 1pm

The applications will be taken in SCOTT COUNTY beginning October 1st:

3400 W. Central Park Avenue, Davenport, IA

Mondays 12pm - 3pm

Wednesdays and Fridays 9am - 3pm

Social security card and current photo id are required to be hired.

Volunteers are also sought: If you are interested in becoming a volunteer bell ringer, please go to www.ringbells.org for easy sign-up.

82 cents of every dollar donated to The Salvation Army is used to sustain

year-round programs that foster hope, and help change lives.

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Small businesses have made a huge recovery since the economic crash in 2008 and that's good news for all of us. Since we account for 63 percent of new jobs, our success puts people back to work. That, in turn, helps us even more - people with paychecks buy stuff!

And here's more good news: The number of new businesses launching has grown each year since hitting a low in 2009.  One report put it at 540,000 new businesses a month this year.

In hopes of contributing in my own small way, I thought I'd share my 5 C's for building a business. These are the guiding principles I've learned in the 24 years since I founded EMSI Public Relations. Through the ups and downs and all the mistakes, I've found that if I keep my compass set on the 5 C's, we always make it through to smoother waters.

What are the C's?

•  Caring
It starts with caring enough about yourself and your dreams to stay committed to achieving your goals. (Giving up is never a good option!) You have to care enough about yourself to firmly believe that you deserve success and the good things that come with it.

Just as important is caring about your staff and creating a positive work environment for them. Protect their sanity from the clients who want to chew them up and from new hires who don't fit in and hurt morale. Be supportive when stressful situations arise in their lives outside of work. And ensure everyone has the knowledge and tools they need to be successful.

None of us gets far at all if we don't care about our customers. Give them the best exchange possible for their money; define expectations so that they understand the end product you are delivering and for which they are paying. Be willing to listen to their concerns, take responsibility for mistakes, and correct them.

•  Courage
Thirty years ago, I probably would never have said it takes courage to lead a small business, but without it, I assure you, you'll fail. There are dragons and quicksand and dark woods all around. You'll find them in the day-to-day problems, the obstacles you didn't see lying in wait, the risks you must take, and the stresses involved with honoring your obligations to everyone working with and for you.

Trust me, your courage will grow every time you push your fear behind you and deal with what frightens you. Which will also help you build confidence.

•  Confidence
Think of the many challenges you've faced in your life, and the many times you've overcome them. Bring that confidence to your business. Believing that you can reach for and achieve your short- and long-term goals is essential to getting you there.

•  Competence
Competence comes from knowledge and experience. Hone it by staying up on the trends and disruptions in your industry. One of the most important roles a CEO plays is as the visionary for his or her company. That means you can't, and shouldn't, take on jobs within your company for which you're not qualified. You'll make yourself miserable and your business will suffer. Hire an accountant to handle the financials. Get marketing help if that's not your thing.

As for employees, take the time to hire competent people who you'll trust in their jobs - and then trust them!

•  Commitment
Stay dedicated to your goals no matter how difficult that becomes. That may mean taking painful measures, as it did for me after the 9/11 terrorist attacks put the brakes on the economy. There came a point for my business when all hope looked lost. I had to make drastic cuts, including letting go beloved employees. For more than a year, I ramped up marketing efforts, diversified our services, and took other steps to get the business out of the red. In 2005, I succeeded - and it has been upward and onward ever since.

Building my business has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. I get a lot of pleasure from helping our clients meet their goals. I enjoy coming to work and spending time with the team I'm blessed to call part of the family. We laugh loudly and often!

If you've recently launched a new business, know that you'll encounter challenges. Don't panic! Remember the 5 C's and forge ahead with caring, courage, confidence, competence and commitment.

About Marsha Friedman

Marsha Friedman is a public relations expert with 25 years' experience developing publicity strategies for celebrities, corporations and media newcomers alike. Using the proprietary system she created as founder and CEO of EMSI Public Relations, (www.emsincorporated.com), an award-winning national agency, she secures thousands of top-tier media placements annually for her clients. The former senior vice president for marketing at the American Economic Council, Marsha is a sought-after advisor on PR issues and strategies. She shares her knowledge in her Amazon best-selling book, Celebritize Yourself, and as a popular speaker at organizations around the country.