LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The month of October is recognized as National Disability Employment Awareness Month. 

Greg Willett, Louisville's new coordinator of Disability and Access Services, is tasked with creating equal access to opportunities and resources for the city's disability community. He has Becker Muscular Dystrophy, a genetic disease resulting in progressive muscle weakness. 

"I lived about 52 years outside of the chair and just have had this in the recent four years," Willett said.

His disability got to a point where he began falling or getting up became a problem. Willett's solution became to live his independence navigating life through a wheelchair.

"I think a lot of times, people don't think somebody can work," Willett said. "They make assumptions about their disability that they can't do this or they can't do that. And if you look around, there (are) jobs for everyone. There's every type of abilities and all the jobs." 

In his new role, that’s exactly what he’ll do. As a coordinator of Disability and Access Services within the Louisville Metro Office for Aging & Disabled Citizens, he’ll help connect people to services and resources the city offers.

"Helping some people understand that employment is an option for you, and even if you're drawing Social Security Disability or (Supplemental Security Income), you can make more money if you're working," Willett said. "(It's) always better to work." 

"Better to work" is also Sarah Teeters' mission. She’s the city’s Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator and said her office recently met with the federal government and provided insight on ways the city can improve in the hiring process.

"How do we make things more accessible and more disability-friendly so we can have that outreach to engage employers, of Louisville Metro Government, but also to let our disabled community know that we are an open space?" Teeters said.

The aim is to have access to all jobs.

"Focusing on their abilities, that's important," Willett said. "And if you can do that, you can usually find something." 

The theme for this year's National Disability Employment Awareness Month is “Access to Good Jobs for All.”