Richard Pimentel is a disability rights activist who developed significant training materials aimed to help employers integrate persons with disabilities into the workplace, and was a strong advocate for the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. His life story is recounted in the film Music Within

Music Within

Music Within is a 2007 drama film starring Ron Livingston, Melissa George and Michael Sheen.-Plot synopsis:The true story of Richard Pimentel, a brilliant public speaker with a troubled past. As a young man, Pimentel realized he had a remarkable gift for public speaking. Pimentel's idol is College...

. He is today a senior partner of Milt Wright & Associates, Inc.

Timeline of Work in Disability Employment and the ADA

• 1977: Begins conducting diversity-based disability attitude training in Portland, Oregon.
• 1981: Authors Tilting at Windmills Training Program (Windmills), an interactive disability attitude training program designed for managers and supervisors to become more objective and effectively interview and work with people with disabilities.
• 1981: Begins conducting Windmills training for US Government organizations and Fortune 500
  Fortune 500
  The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
  
   companies. Employers trained on the Windmills training program have hired and promoted thousands of individuals with disabilities.
• 1983: Launches the first federal training program for developing jobs for persons with disabilities.
• 1984: Trains Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
  Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
  The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is an independent federal law enforcement agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination complaints based on an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, perceived intelligence,...
  
   (EEOC) staff using Windmills. Recognized as an inspirational spokesperson on disability awareness and sensitivity training.
• 1987: Aids in the development of a disability management
  Disability Management Program
  A Disability Management Program, or DMP, is used by employers to assist employees who are unable to work due to injury or illness. The DMP consists of several components, however not all DMPs have all possible components. Smaller programs may only include the basic components while larger programs...
  
   return-to-work model for injured and recently disabled employees used throughout the nation today by major corporations and government entities.
• 1988: Co-authors AIDS in the Workplace, an attitudinal training program (the first of its kind) as requested by the President’s Committee on Employment of Persons with Disabilities, the EEOC, and the National Institute of Health (NIH) which helped reduce congressional resistance to HIV being covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• 1990: The ADA is signed into law and Richard is acknowledged by the EEOC Chair as a significant contributor to educating employers on disability employment issues.
• 1990: Consults with the EEOC on the workers compensation implications of the ADA and coauthored the ADA Workers Compensation Connection.
• 1992: Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), the largest international HR group in the world, chooses Richard to co-train employer members throughout the US on the implementation of the ADA. The course was entitled "Making the ADA Work for You."
• 1997: Develops training material for the Marriott Bridges program, which has placed over 10,000 young people with disabilities into employment.
• 2001: Authors Working with People with Disabilities in a Job Placement: Job Retention Environment.
• 2007: A full-length motion picture of Richard’s life story, Music Within
  Music Within
  Music Within is a 2007 drama film starring Ron Livingston, Melissa George and Michael Sheen.-Plot synopsis:The true story of Richard Pimentel, a brilliant public speaker with a troubled past. As a young man, Pimentel realized he had a remarkable gift for public speaking. Pimentel's idol is College...
  
  , is released by Warner Brothers.
• 2008: Receives an Honorary Doctorate in Humanities from Portland State University
  Portland State University
  Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
  
  .

He is currently in the development stages of a new employer training program to support the transition of wounded and disabled veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan into the workforce. The focus is on post traumatic stress syndrome, traumatic brain injuries and amputations.

He was interviewed by Richard Aedy on ABC radio about disability & work at

Publications

Richard Pimentel has authored the following:

• Developing the New Employee: Retaining and Enhancing a Diverse Workforce
• The Taking Control Process: Beyond Light Duty
• The Workers' Compensation ADA Connection
• The Return to Work Process: A Case Management Approach
• Return to Work for People with Stress and Mental Illness