In recognition of National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2003, the U.S. Department of Education, in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, today released a guidebook to acquaint business leaders with programs and resources available to assist them in hiring people with disabilities.

The jointly developed publication, “Disability Employment 101: Learn to Tap Your ‘HIRE’ Potential,” includes information about how to find qualified workers with disabilities, how to put disability and employment research into practice and how to model what other businesses have done to successfully integrate individuals with disabilities into the workforce.

“People with disabilities, particularly those with severe disabilities, represent an often-untapped group of educated, highly skilled, talented and qualified workers,” U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige said. “At the Department of Education, our Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services administers several programs that support the goal of finding competitive, meaningful, integrated employment for people with disabilities.

“We are proud to highlight these resources and our partnerships with private employers, state governments, community-based organizations and others who, like the chamber, are working with us toward this important employment goal,” Paige said.

Among other things, the 56-page guide provides information regarding department-funded vocational rehabilitation agencies, Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers, and Centers for Independent Living. It also includes checklists and various other resources to aid employers as they prepare to employ people with disabilities.

During National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2002, the Education Department and the chamber’s Center for Workforce Preparation began development of the booklet. A partnership was established to produce the document as a means to acquaint employers with the programs available at the department and the chamber that can help businesses employ people with disabilities.

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NOTE TO EDITORS:
“Disability Employment 101: Learn to Tap Your ‘HIRE’ Potential” is posted on the department's web site at www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/products/employmentguide/.
Copies also will be available soon through the department's "ED Pubs" service on the Web at http://www.edpubs.org/ or by phoning 1-877-4-ED-PUBS, faxing 1-301-470-1244 or writing ED Pubs, P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, Md. 20794-1398.

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