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Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Talking Points for
Disability Event
July 25, 2001
Thank you, Secretary Thompson, for hosting this important event.
Eleven years ago President George Bush stood on the South Lawn of the
White House to sign the most historic civil rights legislation in more than a
generation.
The Department of Labor has taken up this issue with great dedication,
and as a result, we've doubled the budget for the Office of Disability
Employment Policy this year, and we will shortly announce the first
presidential appointment of an Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment
Policy.
This appointment reflects our commitment to making greater progress on
this vital issue. Although our national unemployment is low, nearly 70 percent
of disabled Americans - most who are willing and ready to work - are still
unemployed. That number has remained steady for the past twelve years.
Consider these troubling facts:
- Computer usage and Internet access is less than half of people
without disabilities.
- Last year, only 62 percent of youth with disabilities graduated; and
- Only one-third of these young people receive job training and
assistance.
The president's New Freedom Initiative reflects our belief that America
is a work in progress - while never veering too far from our nation's
unchanging values of decency, compassion, hope, and opportunity. His plans help
Americans with disabilities buy homes and computers, receive special needs
education, and get improved access to organizations and places of worship.
The New Freedom Initiative also integrates Americans with disabilities
into the workforce. The president's plans provide low-interest loans for new
computers and other equipment needed to telework from home, as well as new
transportation plans to help disabled employees travel to work.
In October, during National Disability Awareness Month, the president
will host the Task Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities. The meeting
is the first step toward implementation of the New Freedom Initiative, serving
two primary goals:
First, we will develop a strategic plan with other departments to tear
down barriers to employment for people with disabilities. And second, we will
hold a series of information gathering discussions on topics ranging from
increasing access to assistive technologies to integrating workers with
disabilities into the workplace.
We will also be looking to address many of the concerns facing youth
with disabilities. The Youth Advisory Committee advises my office, as well as
other offices in the department, on issues of education, health and
rehabilitation, employment, and independent living. I am proud to have this
input from such a wonderful group of caring youth.
Last month, the Department of Labor hosted the 21st Century Workforce
Summit. The summit was a wake-up call to America -- and to Washington, DC --
that the strength of our economic future will rest on our ability to open new
opportunities for every willing worker.
In an effort to reach out to more Americans with disabilities and invite
them into our economic mainstream, I announced five new grant initiatives
totaling over $10 million.
These grants will help customize services for the disabled at one stop
career centers, as well as create model programs that serve the needs and
interests of disabled youth. I am especially excited about a grant that will
initiate high tech programs at local high schools to expand the skills and
interests of disabled teenagers as they begin to plan for their job futures.
I am also thankful that the Department of Labor is a leader in giving
students with disabilities the opportunity to experience public service.
The WRP is a program that is jointly sponsored by the Department of
Defense and the Department of Labor to provide paid summer internships and
permanent jobs for college and university students with disabilities. This
summer there are over 300 students with disabilities in this program and 110
are in the Washington, DC area.
Thank you for celebrating with us today. I hope you will all encourage
your communities to reach beyond past successes and grasp the new promises
awaiting us in the future.
Thank you.
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