(Iowa News Service) – State data show more Iowans with disabilities are employed. And advocates with the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council point out that – during this National Disability Employment Awareness Month – the increase is positive, but barriers remain. The latest numbers show almost 91-thousand Iowans with disabilities are employed – half of them at least part-time. Kristine Graves is one of them. She answers the phones at the Iowa Warm Line – a service for people who need someone to talk with but are not facing an immediate mental health crisis. Graves says while being employed gives her purpose, there is a downside.

Alex Watters works at Morningside University in Sioux City, Iowa. He says he’s had to turn down promotions and other opportunities to keep his income below the threshold that allows him to receive benefits as a quadriplegic. (Alex Watters/IDDC)

The newest state data show that six-percent of the Iowa labor force lives with some form of disability. Alex Watters, a quadriplegic and member of the city council in Sioux City, is also the alumni engagement director at Morningside University. Watters says the benefit eligibility issue keeps some qualified people out of the workforce. He has had to limit the amount of work he can accept, which he says affects his upward mobility.

The Americans with Disabilities Act guarantees equal opportunity for public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation and employment.