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Remarks Prepared for
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
New Freedom Initiative Awards Ceremony
Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Thank you Karen for that introduction. Thank you to your staff for organizing this year's awards.
It's good to see some familiar faces — Yoshiko Dart and Sally Atwater, Executive Director of the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities.
Also joining us today are Senator Bob Dole, Congressman "Buck" McKeon (R-CA), Major Daniel Gade, of the White House Domestic Policy Council, President Mike Sacco of the Seafarers International Union, and the Honorable John Hager, a Former Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of Education and Executive Director of the Republican Party of Virginia. Thank you for being here.
Welcome everyone. We are so pleased to have you join us during Disability Employment Awareness Month. It is such a pleasure to participate in this inspiring event. And some of you have come a very long way, as Karen mentioned — California, New Mexico, Michigan, and other places across the country.
From its beginning, America has been a country of vast horizons and unlimited possibilities. Across the globe, the United States is viewed as the land of opportunity.
But for many Americans with disabilities, the American Dream has remained elusive, due in large part to the fact that they have frequently been excluded from workforce participation, as well as misperceptions about the tremendous pool of talent available in this community.
When President George W. Bush took office in January 2001, he knew there needed to be change. Just two weeks later, he introduced the New Freedom Initiative (NFI). Its goal is to tear down the remaining barriers to equality facing Americans with disabilities by increasing access to assistive technologies, educational opportunities, and integration into the workforce, and promote increased access to community life.
The New Freedom Initiative also re-focused the mission of the Department of Labor.
In 2002, I established the New Freedom Initiative Awards. This is the sixth anniversary of these awards. It's a wonderful opportunity to recognize organizations, employers, and individuals who are doing outstanding work helping Americans with disabilities to be productive members of the workforce. Their commitment is making our country and our communities stronger.
After the New Freedom Initiative was enacted, the Department took a closer look at how people with disabilities fared in the employment system. Our research uncovered a disjointed system that was not performing as well as it should. Nationally, there was a need for a more coordinated, active, and comprehensive approach to employment for people with disabilities. I charged the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) to make this happen.
In short, ODEP has provided a roadmap for the employment of Americans with disabilities in the 21st century.
Let me give you an example from one of our NFI awardees. In the past, workforce development programs focused on skill training and job placement for people with disabilities that often did not match the needs of the employer. Our research with employers revealed that demographics such as industry sector, business size, and type of employer influenced their hiring, retention, and promotion decisions. We now know that we must tailor our approach to the employer's needs, characteristics, and interests of their industry.
Our research also showed that employers' top concerns are finding qualified employees, performance and retention issues, and the cost of job accommodations. By making a strong business case that meets the employers' needs, we are succeeding in encouraging employers to recruit, hire, retain, and promote people with disabilities.
This is a truly new approach!
Today we recognize those who are making a real difference in the lives of so many wonderful people. And although they are from very different industries and have very different approaches, these winners have one thing in common. Each, in their own way, has broadened their organization's diversity by fostering a culture of including people with disabilities in their workforce. Whether through hiring, training, or technology, they are putting their innovative plans into action. And through their efforts, they have brought greater community participation and economic self-sufficiency to Americans with disabilities.
Our winners are as diverse as they are exceptional. They include an employment center that is helping people with mental illness achieve independence. There is a small café offering on-the-job restaurant training for Americans with disabilities. We have a chain store partnering with a nonprofit to train retail workers. And there is a large chemical company that uses cutting-edge technology to create a more inclusive workforce. I'm also pleased to see a defense corporation that offers transitional and employment support to returning service members injured in the global war on terror. And finally, we have an individual who has spent his life as an advocate for the rights of people with disabilities and their equal inclusion in all aspects of community life.
You'll hear each one of these powerful stories as the awards are presented.
Now, let me turn to our second annual SPIRIT Award winner. This is an individual with a disability who has demonstrated leadership and an unyielding commitment to achieving success.
Today we recognize The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and Marc Buoniconti for a commitment to helping others with paralysis. He has an amazing personal story. After suffering a devastating injury that left him paralyzed from the shoulders down, Marc created the Miami Project, which conducts cutting-edge medical research on spinal cord injuries. This work offers hope to so many others with similar disabilities. Marc, what a difference you and the Miami Project are making!
Thank you all for your leadership in giving workers with disabilities equal access to opportunity. And with that, the chance to achieve success and the ability to expand their own horizons!
And now, the Deputy Secretary Howard Radzley will introduce the recipients of our Sixth Annual New Freedom Initiative Awards.
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