ODEP - Office of Disability Employment Policy
Disability Employment Policy Resources by Topic
Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE)
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At work, it's what people CAN do that matters. That's the simple message behind the Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE), an ODEP-funded outreach effort to promote the hiring, retention and advancement of people with disabilities.
The CDE is a collaborative of several leading disability and business organizations convened by ODEP to work together to address disability employment. The outcome of this collaboration is a national outreach initiative titled "What can YOU do?" Framed around messages developed collectively by the CDE's Members, this initiative challenges common misconceptions about disability employment and encourages employers and others to recognize the value and talent that people with disabilities add to America's workplaces and economy.
Key parts of the What can YOU do? initiative are the recently released "Who I Am" and the award-winning "Because" and "I Can" public service announcements (PSAs). Each highlights what people with disabilities CAN do when given the opportunity. Featuring real people with disabilities, the PSAs seek to change myths and misperceptions about career prospects for people with disabilities. The CDE has developed outreach materials to complement the PSAs, including posters, and discussion guides created for workplace, youth, and other audiences. Spanish-language versions of selected materials are also available.
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"Who I Am" — Now airing on more than 595 TV stations and cable outlets nationwide
The "Who I Am" PSA debuted at the White House in October 2014 and is now airing on television stations and cable outlets nationwide and has already been aired more than 100,000 times. It is available to the public on an accessible DVD that features a "talking menu" and in multiple formats on the web.
"Who I Am" features nine real people with disabilities. Rather than be defined by disability, these individuals are the sum of their many life roles — which includes working in jobs they love. The message of "Who I Am" is to remind us to see one another for who we are and what we can contribute.
- View the "Who I Am" PSA
- Visit the “Who I Am” Toolkit page to meet the cast and for information on how to order posters and a DVD containing accessible versions of the PSA along with a discussion guide, available in both English and Spanish
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"Because" — Top-ranked [1] for 2015
The "Because" Campaign, which includes the "Because" PSA, posters and discussion guides, was released in January 2013. Since then, it has aired more than 103,000 times on television and cable stations nationwide, at the Indianapolis 500 automobile race, on electronic billboards alongside interstate highways, and many meetings, conferences, and presentations. "Because" reflects ODEP's priorities to increase expectations by youth with disabilities, their parents, teachers, coaches, and mentors, as well as future employers about what persons with disabilities can achieve in their careers.
- View the "Because" PSA
- Visit the “Because” Toolkit page to meet the cast and for information on how to order posters and a DVD containing accessible versions of the PSA along with a discussion guide, available in both English and Spanish
[1]Together, "Because" and "Who I Am" were ranked in the top 1% of all PSAs in 2015 as reported by Nielsen Media Research
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"I Can" — The award-winning 2010 campaign
The "I Can" PSA aired more than 65,500 times on television, cable and radio stations nationwide and in AMC theaters. Released in 2010, "I Can" was the Campaign for Disability Employment's first PSA. It demonstrated what people with disabilities can do at work and it urged employers to capitalize on these talents through inclusive employment practices that benefit everyone.
- View the "I Can" PSA
- Visit the “I Can” Toolkit page to meet the cast and for information on how to order posters and discussion guides
Campaign for Disability Employment Members
The CDE is steered by a group of leading business and disability advocacy organizations. Members include: