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ODEP News Release: [06/09/2003]
Contact Name: Michael Volpe
Phone Number: (202) 693-7880

Department of Labor’s DisabilityInfo.gov Records More Than One Million Visitors and Over 20 Million “Hits” From 136 Countries

WASHINGTON—DisabilityInfo.gov, a comprehensive federal Web site with one-stop access to governmental disability information, has gone over the one-million visitor mark and achieved more than 20 million “hits,” Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced today.

“DisabilityInfo.gov provides Americans with disabilities a direct and easy connection to information and resources they need to become full participants in the 21^st Century workforce,” Secretary Chao said.

Assistant Secretary Roy Grizzard, who heads the Office of Disability Employment Policy added, “Although only operational for eight months, DisabilityInfo.gov stands as a shining example of the President and the Secretary’s deep commitment to making government easily accessible to all Americans.”

Since its Oct. 16, 2002 launch, DisabilityInfo.gov has averaged almost 5,000 visitors per day, with the most popular content topics accessed including income, employment, health, housing, education, transportation, and technology. Each visit averages almost eight minutes in duration, according to site statistics, and visitors have come from 136 countries.

Background: As part of the New Freedom Initiative, and in an effort to remove barriers for people with disabilities, President Bush on Aug. 28, 2002, issued an executive memorandum directing federal agencies to work together and develop a comprehensive federal Web site with one-stop access to governmental disability information. Two months later, DisabilityInfo.gov was launched.

It is the result of a collaborative effort across multiple federal agencies and contains information on civil rights, education, employment, job accommodations, housing, technology, transportation, Medicaid and Medicare, and even emergency preparedness. The site is designed to be a single point of entry to access high-quality governmental services and information relevant to people with disabilities, their families, employers, and service providers. The President selected the U.S. Labor Department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy to lead the effort to establish and manage DisabilityInfo.gov, with ongoing content development shared by a myriad of government agencies.

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