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OPA News Release: [05/01/2003] Contact Name: Michael
Volpe Phone Number: (202) 693-7880
Labor Department Hosts UK-US Seminar Seeking Exchange
of Ideas on Improving Employment Opportunities for People with
Disabilities
WASHINGTONSecretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today urged an
international audience of disability experts to continue to bring focus
and awareness to solutions that insure the full inclusion of persons with
disabilities into the 21st century workforce.
Secretary Chao told attendees to Pathways to Work in the
21st Century: A UK-US Seminar of Exchange, that the innovative
programs and practices contained in President Bush's New Freedom
Initiative should be a starting point for exchanging ideas to improve
employment opportunities, transportation options and assistive technology
systems for persons of all ages with disabilities. She added, All of us
have got to continue to work toward a world where all individuals are respected
for who they are, celebrated for their abilities, and encouraged to realize
their full potential and achieve their dreams.
Secretary Chao welcomed the United Kingdom contingent, headed by Andrew
Smith, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. Delegates to the seminar also
heard from Deputy Labor Secretary D. Cameron Findlay and Office of Disability
Employment Policy (ODEP) Assistant Secretary Roy Grizzard. ODEP is the
nations first Assistant Secretary-led office that specifically addresses
policies that impact upon the employment of people with disabilities. It acts
as a catalyst to stimulate new ideas about employment through research and
development, policy analysis, grant awards, technical assistance, and the
promotion of effective business practices.
The three-day event, co-hosted by the US Labor Department and the UK
Department for Work and Pensions, is designed to compare and exchange
information about effective strategies and practices for increasing employment
opportunities for people with disabilities. Approximately 75 experts, including
disability advocates, government officials, and employers, representing a
variety of critical perspectives from the US and the UK were invited to attend
the event. The two plenary and five breakout sessions will focus on such topics
as Filling the Jobs Gap; Universal Standards for Accessible Technology;
Incentives to Work; and, Community-Based Solutions. At the end of the
seminar, attendees will tour a Job Link One-Stop Employment Center in
Alexandria, Virginia.
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