Welcome to the NOD Web Site

The mission of the National Organization on Disability (NOD) is to expand the participation and contribution of America’s 54 million men, women and children with disabilities in all aspects of life.

Click here for background information on the National Organization on Disability

Our Programs

National EmployAbility Partnership (NEP) - Increasing the number of Americans with disabilities in the workforce Emergency Preparedness Initiative (EPI) - Ensuring inclusion of disability issues in preparedness planning Community Partnership Program (CPP) - Helping mayors and their communities to become disability-friendly Accessible America Award - Recognizing America's most disability-friendly communities National Partnership Program (NPP) - Partnering with major organizations to carry out disability programs CEO Council - Recognizing CEOs and companies committed to the employment of people with disabilities Religion and Disability Program - Encouraging faith communities to remove barriers to full religious participation NOD/Harris Surveys - Gathering benchmark data on state of disability in America World Committee on Disability - Promoting implementation and commitment of UN member states to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities FDR International Disability Award - Recognizing nations' progress toward expanding disability participation

Headlines

2007 NOD ANNUAL REPORT

The 2007 NOD Annual Report is now available on the NOD web site.  The past year was one of many successes, and we invite you to learn about us and join us as we work to expand the participation of people with disabilities in all areas of life.

Finding the Right Way to Disclose a Disability
Date: August 29, 2008
Disclosing a disability to your new employer can be difficult. While it may help protect your legal rights, it can also leave you open to discrimination. This article from the Wall Street Journal will give you tips on how to disclose your disability the right way.

Alumna Works to Heal Wounds of War
Date: July 24, 2008
NOD Vice President and Senior Advisor Mary Dolan-Hogrefe was recently recognized by the University of Denver, her alma mater, for her work with those affected by Agent Orange in Vietnam. Dolan-Hogrefe named to the U.S.-Vietnam Dialogue Group on Agent Orange/Dioxin in 2007, and traveled to Vietnam with the Group to visit sites and to assess the impact of Agent Orange on the country today.

Disability Organization Announces New Leadership
Date: February 25, 2008
The leading general disability organization, the National Organization on Disability, has announced new leadership. Gay F. Reich, the widow of the organization’s founder Alan A. Reich, has been elected Acting President, succeeding Michael Deland, who has retired. Charles F. Dey was named Vice Chairman; Gov. Tom Ridge remains Chairman.

Houston, Texas Wins 2007 Accessible America Award
Date: February 14, 2008
Houston, Texas has been chosen as the winner in the seventh annual Accessible America Contest, the National Organization on Disability (NOD) announced today. The city is being heralded as a national model for its focus on disability issues and successful design of programs, services and facilities that are accessible for citizens and visitors who have disabilities. The Accessible America Contest, administered by NOD’s Community Partnership Program, is sponsored by generous grants from UPS, AARP and the Chrysler Foundation.

NOD's Emergency Preparedness Initiative Announces New Partners in Preparedness Project
Date: February 14, 2008
At the request of the Wal-Mart Department of Emergency Management and Wal-Mart Disability Markets and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Emergency Preparedness and Response Division (CDPHE EPRD), NOD's Emergency Preparedness Initiative (EPI) will be a partner on their upcoming nine-day state-wide preparedness event. During the week of March 1-9, CDPHE EPRD and Wal-Mart will display one personal preparedness kit at each of 79 Wal-Mart stores and Sams Club locations across the state. EPI's Prepare Yourself brochure series for people with disabilities and special needs will be included among the materials Colorado public health and medical volunteers display and distribute to shoppers, as they educate them on the contents of the preparedness kit.

NOD's Mary Dolan-Hogrefe Named to Agent Orange Dialogue Group
Date: January 24, 2008
Mary E. Dolan-Hogrefe, Vice President and Senior Advisor of the National Organization on Disability (NOD) and Director of NOD's international arm - the World Committee on Disability, was named late last year as member of the U.S.-Vietnam Dialogue Group on Agent Orange/Dioxin. The Group will travel to Vietnam next week to visit sites and meet people impacted by Agent Orange.

EPI Hosts Disability & Special Needs Technical Assistance Conference
Date: January 8-9, 2008
The Emergency Preparedness Initiative, in cooperation with the Homeland Defense Journal, hosted the Disability and Special Needs Technical Assistance Conference from January 8 to 9, 2008 at the Capitol Hilton in Washington, DC.  This conference brought together Federal, State, local, and private sector experts to discuss day-to-day challenges in emergency planning and response for people with disabilities and special needs.  NOD Chairman Tom Ridge was the Keynote Speaker.

The web site of the National Organization on Disability is made possible through the generous support of the McGraw-Hill Companies.