Office of Disability Employment Policy

Mission Statement

GROUND-BREAKING SURVEY OF EMPLOYER ACTIONS/ATTITUDES RELEASED The Survey of Employer Perspectives on the Employment of People with Disabilities is the first of its magnitude, with responses representing more than 2.4 Million companies nationwide. The survey reveals that a majority of large businesses hiring people with disabilities are discovering that costs for accommodations differ very little from those of the general employee population. Additionally, the survey showed that once an employer hires someone with a disability, they are much more likely to hire other people with disabilities. ROBUST & COMPREHENSIVE BUSINESS CASE NOW AVAILABLE   ODEP’s revised Business Case for Hiring People with Disabilities, including returning disabled veterans, features video clips, research and anecdotal information from businesses and industry leaders on how hiring people with disabilities improves an organizations bottom line across six themes: Return on Investment, Human Capital, Innovation, Marketing, Diversity, and Social Responsibility.

Job Accommodation Network offers ADA Amendments Act of 2008 resources The ADA Amendments Act of 2008 became effective on January 1, 2009. Although the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has not yet completed the regulations for the new legislation, ODEP’s Job Accommodation Network (JAN) has developed both a publication and a resource page regarding the Act. The new publication is JAN's Accommodation and Compliance Series: The ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (http://www.jan.wvu.edu/bulletins/adaaa1.htm) and will be periodically updated as additional information is made public. You can find complementary resources at: http://www.jan.wvu.edu/LINKS/adalinks.htm

Workers with Disabilities: Talent for a Winning Team Jim Abbott – It’s Talent and Skill That Mattered, Not His Disability Jim Abbott is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who played for the California Angels, Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers and New York Yankees. The highlight of his career was pitching a no-hitter for the Yankees in 1993. But he is also remembered for excelling at the game despite being born with only one hand. Read more...

ODEP and UCLA Alliance Agreement Signed On December 9, 2008, Assistant Secretary Neil Romano joined UCLA Anderson School of Management Dean Judy Olian and Executive Education Assistant Dean Kelly Bean to sign ODEP’s most recent Alliance. Witnessing the signing were representatives of several of the founding sponsors of UCLA Anderson’s Leadership Institute for Managers with Disabilities. ODEP’s Alliance Initiative is a cooperative program that enables organizations committed to improving disability workplace practices to work with ODEP to develop and implement model policies, initiatives and strategies that increase recruiting, hiring, advancing, and retaining workers with disabilities. Read more...

Boosting Productivity, Maximizing Efficiency All employers want a productive work environment, and for many, productivity enhancements are the key to maximizing on-the-job efficiency. From accessible technology to flexible schedules, a wide array of productivity enhancements can benefit a business's employees - not to mention its bottom line. Just ask Debra Ruh, founder and chairman of the small business TecAccess. Read more...

NEW FACT SHEETS and A NEW LOOK ODEP has just released three new fact sheets in a new and easy to read format that provide constructive disability employment information for parents, youth and employers: Creating a Path to Employment: PDF Tips for Parents with Children with Disabilities Work in the 21st century is more team-based than ever. Start by exploring the work world together. Essential Skills to Getting a Job: PDF What Young People with Disabilities Need to Know Often referred to as soft skills, work ethic, communication, teamwork and critical thinking are all must have’s for youth in today’s job market. Shaping Tomorrow’s Workforce: PDF Including Talents of Young People with Disabilities Youth with disabilities bring fresh, new perspectives that enrich strategies for meeting business challenges and achieving success. View all of ODEP's factsheets...