Office of Disability Employment Policy

Mission Statement

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR LEADS NEW WORK GROUP OF 18 AGENCIES FOCUSED ON FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES Read the Press Release

ODEP HELPS LAUNCH QUALITY WORK ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE FOR ABILITYONE WORKERS The Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled recently launched a landmark initiative to enhance quality work environments for more than 40,000 Americans employed through AbilityOne, a program that provides employment through the federal procurement process to people who are blind or have other severe disabilities. Read more...

ODEP GATHERS LEADERS TO DISCUSS INTEGRATED EMPLOYMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES The discussion stressed the importance of the "Employment First" activities being undertaken in the states and the need to expand those initiatives. Read more...

ODEP FORMS ALLIANCE WITH NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNORS’ COMMITTEES ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES (NAGC) On December 29, 2008, Assistant Secretary Neil Romano welcomed Mary-Margaret Cash, Secretary of the National Association of Governors’ Committees on People with Disabilities (NAGC), to his office. During a ceremony witnessed by senior ODEP staff, Mr. Romano and Ms. Cash signed ODEP’s most recent Alliance. Read more…

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 organization's 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...