Office of Disability Employment Policy

June 2009 Disability Employment Statistics Released

In June 2009, the percent of people with disabilities in the labor force was 22.6 compared with 71.9 for persons with no disability. The unemployment rate for those with disabilities was 14.3 percent, compared with 9.5 percent for persons with no disability, not seasonally adjusted.

Read about the June Disability Employment Statistics
Read Commonly Used Terms in BLS Employment Statistics

The U.S. Department of Labor announces the 2009 National Disability Employment Awareness Month Theme:

Expectation + Opportunity = Full Participation

Read the Press Release

To receive an email notice when the 2009 NDEAM poster becomes available, be sure to subscribe to E-mail Updates at the bottom of this page

Prospective Applicant Webinar to be held Wednesday, July 1, 2009

A Prospective Applicant Webinar will be held at 2:30 p.m. EST, Wednesday, July 1, 2009. The purpose of this webinar is to provide interested parties an overview of this solicitation (Solicitation for Grant Applications - Registered Apprenticeship for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities) and an opportunity to ask questions concerning this solicitation. Transcripts of the webinar will be made available on request in accessible formats. Individuals who wish to participate in this conference call must register by contacting Kristen Schiavone at (202) 693-7840, no later than 4:45 p.m. EST on Tuesday, June 30, 2009. Please ask to register for the Apprenticeship SGA Webinar. Registrations should be made as soon as possible.

Solicitation for Grant Applications - Registered Apprenticeship for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy and Employment and Training Administration’s Office of Apprenticeship announce the availability of approximately $400,000 to fund two Registered Apprenticeship for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities cooperative agreements. Under this initiative, the grantees will conduct two pilot projects to develop models to improve systems capacity to provide inclusive Registered Apprenticeship training and pre-apprenticeship training to youth and young adults with disabilities ages 16 to 27 utilizing the increased flexibilities detailed in DOL’s newly released apprenticeship regulations. There will be an initial 24-month period of performance, and the possibility of up to three additional option years of funding at the discretion of the Department depending on the availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

To be considered for an award, the consortium applying for the grant must, at a minimum, have representation from each of the following four organization types:

 
1. A Registered Apprenticeship Program sponsor in a high-growth industry sector;
 
2. A community-based organization with demonstrated experience securing job training services from established training institutions such as community colleges, and providing placement and support services to apprentices in high-growth industries;
 
3. A public/private non-profit or for-profit organization, which may be faith-based, with demonstrated experience providing employment and training services and employment related support services to people with disabilities; and
 
4. An educational institution.

The overarching goal for this solicitation is to increase systems capacity to provide integrated inclusive apprenticeship training to youth and young adults with a full range of disabilities, including those with the most significant disabilities, utilizing the increased flexibilities detailed in DOL’s newly released apprenticeship regulations.

There will be a Prospective Applicant Webinar held for this grant competition. The date of this webinar will be posted on this site. Applications must be received by
July 15, 2009.

Read the SGA - Registered Apprenticeship for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities

JAN introduces the What Can YOU Do? Video Contest

The What Can YOU Do? Video Contest is an opportunity for young - and young-at-heart - filmmakers to promote positive change by illustrating that at work, it’s what people CAN do that matters. The contest is sponsored by the Campaign for Disability Employment, a collaborative effort between the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD); the National Business and Disability Council (NBDC); Special Olympics (SO); the U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN); and the Job Accommodation Network (JAN). It is funded under a contract from the Office of Disability Employment Policy.

To learn more about he Video Contest, click here.