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ODEP News Release: [10/20/2004]
Contact Name: Jane Norris or Michael Volpe
Phone Number: (202) 693-4676 or x7909

Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao Kicks Off 6th Annual Disability Mentoring Day

WASHINGTON— U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao officially kicked off the 6th annual Disability Mentoring Day by delivering the keynote address at the department's ceremony today.

“Disability Mentoring Day is an opportunity for young people with disabilities to gain firsthand exposure to the many career options available to them,” Secretary Chao said. “It increases awareness among employers and the public that people with disabilities are a highly talented and largely untapped resource.”

Disability Mentoring Day is held on the third Wednesday of October, during National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Secretary Chao selected “You're Hired! Success Knows No Limitations!” as the official theme for 2004 to focus on the full inclusion of people with disabilities into the 21st Century workforce.

“Disability Mentoring Day also supports the President's New Freedom Initiative by increasing the opportunity of Americans with disabilities to integrate into the workforce” said Secretary Chao.

This year's ceremony, held in the department's Great Hall, also included remarks from Dr. Roy Grizzard, Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and Ms. Carrie Griffin Basas, a 2002 Harvard Law School graduate with a disability.

Launched in 1999, Disability Mentoring Day enhances internship and employment opportunities for young people with disabilities by bringing them together with employers from public, private, federal, non-profit and educational sectors for a day of job shadowing and hands-on career exploration. It represents a collaborative partnership between ODEP and the American Association of People with Disabilities.

ODEP is the nation's first assistant secretary-led agency that specifically addresses policies that impact employment of people with disabilities. It acts as a catalyst by guiding economic and social policy, building collaborative networks, developing evidenced-based employment solutions, and developing credible data on employment of people with disabilities. For more information, please visit www.dol.gov/odep.

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