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Speeches by Secretary Elaine L. Chao
Remarks Prepared
For Delivery By
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
Secretarys
New Freedom Initiative Awards Ceremony
Great Hall, U.S. Department of
Labor
Washington, D.C.
October 16, 2003
Thank you very much, Dr. Grizzard. And, welcome everyoneto the Department of Labors second annual Secretarys New Freedom Initiative Awards Ceremony!
What an exciting day this is! What lovely surroundings were in! I want to thank everyone who has worked to make this event so special.
Ive been out of town since last Thursday evening but I hurried back to Washington for todays event because I have been looking forward to this gathering. I feel such a deep and personal commitment to this awards ceremony because of all that these awards represent and symbolize. I established the Secretarys New Freedom Initiative awards in 2002 because I believe that organizations and companies that have demonstrated progress in helping Americans with disabilities enter and stay in the workforce should be recognized and encouraged. I also hoped that these awards would inspire other organizations and people to realize what can be done to help workers with disabilities and spur them to do better. Each years awards ceremony furthers our goal of a more compassionate and equal world for everyone!
As youve heard, our Office of Disability Employment Policy is making great strides toward achieving its missionas you can tell from the many activities during this National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
Just yesterday, in this hall, we opened our doors to employees from Federal agencies and matched them with youth with disabilities for a day of mentoring and job-shadowing activities. This was part of National Disability Mentoring Day.
Today, we are so pleased to be in this same hall offering congratulations to organizations, corporations and an individual whose achievements and commitment truly exemplify President George W. Bushs New Freedom Initiative. As you know, this initiative is a priority for this Presidenthe introduced it less than 30 days after he was sworn in as the 43rd President of the United States.
President George W. Bush wants all Americans, including Americans with disabilities, to have the opportunity to learn and develop skills and engage in productive and dignified work. The recipients of the 2003 Secretarys New Freedom Initiative Awards are organizations that recognize the value that persons with disabilities bring to the workplace and they exemplify that philosophy in everything they do.
Our Office of Disability Employment Policy is here to ensure that there are policies in place that help others to achieve that goal.
As weve said before, because of demographic and technological changes in our society, there is a skills gap, or a shortage of workers with the right skills, in some of the emerging sectors of our economy. I applaud this years award winners for understanding that challenge and taking steps to fully utilize the talents and skills of disabled Americans.
Some of todays award winners have launched training programs tailored for the disabled.
Others have sponsored aggressive placement services for the disabled and met with great success.
Still others have focused on assistance technology to make the workplace more accessible and friendly to those who need it most.
All of this years New Freedom Award winners are outstanding in their own unique way and exemplify the spirit of the New Freedom Initiative.
So please accept my heartfelt congratulations to all of the award winners. You are doing wonderful things, and I look forward to working with you to ensure that disabled Americans can fully access all the opportunities in our society.
Thank you and God bless you.
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