Keynote Remarks Delivered by W. Roy Grizzard, Ed.D. at the Annual Conference of the New Jersey Chapter of the Association for Persons in Supported Employment
March 31, 2006
Woodbridge Hilton
Iselin, NJ
Thank you for that kind introduction. I am extremely pleased to be with you on the occasion of your annual meeting.
Congratulations to New Jersey APSE on your fourteenth year. As most of you know, I am in my fourth year with ODEP, which is only in its fifth year. In those few years, we have made great strides and later on, I will tell you how our work is affecting the employment of people with disabilities.
I wish to commend you for your role in advocating, educating, promoting, and improving integrated employment services for persons experiencing disabilities. Through your great efforts in communities throughout New Jersey, people who experience disabilities are viewed for who they are and not for the disabilities they may experience.
You are changing attitudes and for that, I thank you. I urge you to keep doing what you are doing. As a policy office, we do not provide direct services, as you do. Rather, we are here to provide national leadership and work to make our vision real. And what is that vision? It is nothing less than "A world in which people with disabilities have unlimited employment opportunities."
To achieve that vision we exercise our national leadership through developing and influencing disability and related employment policy and practice that impact people with disabilities. Every morning, when I go to my office, focus on ODEP's vision and mission helps me to lead our very talented people, to provide them with the resources they need, and to help them avoid or deal with the roadblocks we face in our quest to realize our vision.
Fortunately, we have a President who, within a fortnight of taking office in 2001, exhibited his knowledge, interest, and concern for people with disabilities by announcing the New Freedom Initiative, a comprehensive plan to include people with disabilities in all aspects of our American way of life. We are also fortunate to have a Secretary of Labor, Elaine L. Chao, who takes a deep personal interest in the employment of persons with disabilities. Their combined leadership makes my job easier.
I particularly like the title you chose for this conference, "Facing the Future XIV, Ride the Wave to Employment," for it is a wave of disability employment that we are all trying to create and develop. But as your title suggests, there are two parts to this picture, the wave and the riding of the wave.
Just like a light bulb's white-hot filament in a lamp creates light waves, just as a vibrating guitar string creates sound waves, and just as wind creates the waves on a lake or in the ocean, ODEP is an energizing force that helps to create the wave of employment. Once that wave begins, we can help sustain it and grow it.
We can also help to prepare those who will ride the wave. In our jargon, we call this the supply and demand of the employment equation. The supply provides those who will ride the wave. The demand is the energy of that wave that creates the employment opportunities. When it's all said and done, however, it comes down to the willingness of the person to ride the wave.
I am sure that many of you have watched people ride waves at the seashore, from the toddler near the shoreline to the accomplished surfer who rides the big waves farther out. Both that toddler and that accomplished surfer had to overcome their initial hesitation. After all, they were in unfamiliar territory.
Our toddler and our surfer both overcame their initial fear and discovered that they liked being in the water and liked the energy of the wave. That wasn't enough for the surfer, however. That surfer had to learn how to ride a surfboard and how to control it so that he could go where he wants to and to enjoy the ride. I think you understand where I am going with this.
Everyone who enters the working world is at first hesitant. But with a good try, dedicated help, training, the required supports, and the willingness to keep at it, the person can become a good, productive employee.
Speaking of waves, I am reminded of a phrase from the great novel, Moby Dick; "The waves should rise and fall, and ebb and flow unceasingly". You know, an unceasing flow of disability employment waves would certainly realize ODEP's vision, which I repeat, is "A world in which people with disabilities have unlimited employment."
Let me be a bit more specific about how ODEP serves the nation and specifically the disability community by achieving the goals of our mission. ODEP uses five methods to achieve our goals:
ODEP's first method is Collaboration.
As you know, the federal government is very large, with many agencies, sometimes working at what seems to be cross-purposes. It is in collaboration with those agencies and offices that we develop the ideas and plans that can make the government work more efficiently in the effort to increase the employment of persons with disabilities.
I will give you two examples. ODEP plays a key role with other agencies in the initiatives for wounded and injured service members and veterans. We lead DOL's Mental Health Work Group.
ODEP's second method is to take the initiative and build Partnerships where none existed before.
ODEP has a strong and growing presence in the employer community. We initiated the Workforce Excellence Initiative in order to partner with businesses, individuals, and organizations who want to increase their recruiting, hiring, retention, and advancement of people with disabilities. ODEP also partners with federal agencies to develop effective solutions. For instance, our employment supports team has worked to partner with the department of transportation on the United We Ride initiative. It is improving transportation for Americans with disabilities-a critical factor in obtaining and sustaining employment.
Third, ODEP designs and conducts disability Research studies.
I am going to spend a few moments on this particular aspect of our work because I want to share with you how ODEP is creating and developing a wave that leads to employment!
Over the past five years, ODEP's initiatives have focused on how a systems change and employer-focused approach can improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities.
ODEP's systems change approach demonstrates that capacity building, coordination, and individualization of services leads to improvements in how employment services are delivered, which result in improved employment outcomes.
These outcomes include the following:
- In FY 2005, ODEP served over 6,000 individuals with disabilities in their research demonstration programs.
- Demographic characteristics indicate that these participants tend to be the most difficult to place candidates and have disabilities, such as psychiatric/emotional, cognitive, and physical disabilities, and are chronically homeless individuals.
- Many of these individuals are not eligible for more traditional employment services.
- A majority of these individuals had at least 12 years of education, and little or no previous work experience.
Our research of a random sample of individuals who found employment through ODEP's adult demonstration program found that:
- 97% of those sampled received employment with wages above minimum wage.
- In fact almost a third were earning more than $8.15 per hour.
- 27% received at least one fringe benefit.
- An astounding 63% had a job with career advancement potential.
- Fourteen percent went off at least one benefit (SSI, SSDI, TANF, Food Stamps).
ODEP research on employers has produced findings that have built a strong business case for the employment of people with disabilities. This is particularly important because businesses are created to provide products and services in such a way that among other desirable outcomes. The owners of the business see the value of their investment increase. Businesses are not charities and we never ask a business to hire a person with a disability for any reason other than to incorporate the abilities of the person, regardless of the disability, in their enterprise. We use a persuasive tool known as a Business Case to prove our point. In the course of building the case, we found:
- Employers' top concern is finding and retaining qualified employees, regardless of industry sector. When we tell them that more and more young people with disabilities are graduating from schools and colleges, and that people who experience a disability have creative problem solving skills, they see that many people with disabilities have the talents, skills, and experiences that they are looking for.
- Employers are concerned with performance and retention. When we tell employers that people with disabilities have comparable retention rates and performance than employees without disabilities, they see that hiring, retaining, and promoting people with disabilities positively impacts their bottom line.
- Employers say accommodations are costly. When we tell employers that almost half of the accommodations needed by employers and job applicants with disabilities cost absolutely nothing, and that of those accommodations that do typically cost around $600, they see that they can make accommodations easy and cost effective.
- So, if we present a strong business case, we can succeed in encouraging employers to recruit, hire, retain, and promote people with disabilities. This is truly a new approach.
These findings show that advancing a new coordinated systems change and employer-focused approach will result in significant improvements to systems, employers, and individuals with disabilities. ODEP hopes to see these results through more accessible employment resources, coordinated programs, processes, and services, and increased numbers of employers accessing services to recruit, hire, retain, and promote people with disabilities.
Fourth, we Review federal legislation and policies.
We are a nation of laws. Your senators and congress people make the laws and fund the efforts that make a difference in people's lives. When Congress delegates the authority to implement those laws to federal agencies, those agencies administer those laws according to their understanding of the laws. As an example of ODEP's role in this, ODEP joins the Employment & Training Administration and the Department's Civil Rights Center to advise DOL on ways to improve accessibility of One-Stop Career Centers.
Finally, we invest in a robust Education and Outreach effort.
That effort takes many forms and I will speak with you about a few.
I am happy to inform you that ODEP has just unveiled a completely redesigned website. It has been reorganized for your convenience and contains a wealth of information you can use.
I especially urge you to check out the Employment Supports and Employer-Focused sections of our website. There, you'll find good information that addresses the Business Case, for employers large and small, that recruiting and hiring people with disabilities is a sound business strategy used by successful businesses nationwide. You will also find a broad range of resources on transportation, housing, assistive technology, personal assistance services and other supports designed to promote the economic independence and full integration of people with disabilities into the workforce. So, please take some time to check out our website at www.dol.gov/odep. Also, be sure to subscribe to our service that will keep you up to date with all new information.
Another of the resources you will find on ODEP's web site is a series of new and updated Fact Sheets you can use to educate employers as you reach out, including a new one on Effective Emergency Preparedness Planning.
Already this year, parts of our nation already experienced devastating tornadoes and June begins the hurricane season. Employers are eager for information to help them understand the unique needs and perspectives of employees and/or visitors with disabilities during emergency situations.
Also, be sure the employers you are working with know about the free and confidential services available to them through the Job Accommodation Network (JAN). JAN is a free consulting service designed to increase the employability of people with disabilities by: 1) providing individualized worksite accommodations solutions, 2) providing technical assistance regarding the ADA and other disability related legislation, and 3) educating callers about self-employment options.
Just to give you an idea of how busy JAN is, let me tell you that this service of ODEP's provides custom-tailored responses to over 32,000 accommodation inquiries each year!
JAN also conducts research. I think you will be delighted to know that a recent JAN survey found that more than half of the employer respondents were able to accommodate employees with disabilities without incurring any cost (for example, a simple schedule change may have met the need). Moreover, we found that the typical cost of an accommodation is only $600. You can connect with JAN on the internet at http://www.jan.wvu.edu/ or by calling 1-800-526-7234 (v/tty).
Another of ODEP's programs is the Employer Assistance and Recruiting Network (EARN). EARN is a free service that connects employers looking for quality employees with skilled job candidates. EARN is a one-stop source for disability employment information including: recruiting services, tools and resources, employer success stories, and the Business Case for hiring people with disabilities. You can connect with EARN on the internet at http://www.earnworks.com/ or by calling 1-866-327-6669 (v/tty).
In addition, each year, ODEP is primarily responsible to the Secretary of Labor as she publicly recognizes businesses, organizations and individuals for exemplary disability employment efforts. In 2001, she established the Secretary of Labor's New Freedom Initiative Award to those whose efforts support the employment related goals of President George W. Bush's New Freedom Initiative.
In fact, ODEP is recruiting right now for candidates for the 5th Annual Secretary of Labor's New Freedom Initiative Award.
If you know employers, (large and small), non-profit organizations, or individuals who have demonstrated exceptional and innovative efforts to enhance the employment and workplace environment for workers with disabilities, please encourage them to apply by directing them to ODEP's web site, www.dol.gov/odep. Since its inception, small businesses such as A&F Wood Products in Michigan, corporations such as IBM, individuals such as a former linebacker with the Kansas City Chiefs, and non-profits such as the Marriott Foundation have received the Award.
The deadline for submission is May 31st!
I think you will be pleased to hear that next week, the business category recipients of the New Freedom Initiative Award will join us in the "NFI Circle of Champions," an information exchange during which the Awardees share their thoughts, successes, plans, and the challenges they face in the employment of people with disabilities.
Congress designated each October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). ODEP has the lead in planning NDEAM materials to increase the public's awareness of the contributions and skills of American workers with disabilities. Various programs carried out throughout the month also highlight the specific employment barriers that still need to be addressed and removed.
Coordinated by ODEP and the U.S. Department of Defense, the Workforce Recruitment Program aims to connect college students with disabilities with summer work experience or full-time employment. The program develops partnerships with federal agencies, each of whom makes a commitment to provide summer jobs and a staff recruiter. Each year, recruiters interview more than 1,900 students with disabilities at college and university campuses across the nation, and develop a data base listing the qualifications of each student.
Operated and maintained by ODEP, DisabilityInfo.gov is a comprehensive online resource designed to provide people with disabilities, their families, employers, service providers and community members with the information they need to know quickly and easily. With just a few clicks, the site provides access to disability-related information and programs available across the government on numerous subjects, including civil rights, community life, education, employment, housing, health, income support, technology and transportation. Be sure to visit this great resource at www.disabilityinfo.gov.
In closing, I again congratulate you on your successes. I encourage you to make the most of this conference.
