*NEW* January 2010 Disability Employment Statistics Released

In January 2010, the percentage of people with disabilities in the labor force was 21.8 compared with 70.1 for persons with no disability. The unemployment rate for those with disabilities was 15.2 percent, compared with 10.4 percent for persons with no disability, not seasonally adjusted.

Read about the January Disability Employment Statistics

Read Commonly Used Terms in BLS Employment Statistics

A New Day: We’re Listening

On January 21 in Dallas, Texas, ODEP and its Federal partners began a series of six disability employment Listening Sessions. Each Listening Session is an opportunity for members of the public to provide input to senior Federal officials on their ideas for more effective ways to employ all people with disabilities, including women, Veterans and minorities with disabilities and what is currently working in their regions to increase employment of people with disabilities. ODEP seeks input particularly from:

• Individuals & Consumers: youth and adults with disabilities, parents and caregivers
• Employers: public and private
• Service Providers & Advocacy Organizations (such as Employment Services and Partners): Independent Living Centers, One-Stops, State Vocational Rehabilitation Programs

The dates for the Listening Sessions are:

January 21 – Dallas, TX
January 27 – Philadelphia, PA
February 11 – Chicago, IL
February 16 – San Francisco, CA
February 24 – Atlanta, GA
March 3 – Boston, MA

The registration and comment periods for the Philadelphia, Chicago, and San Francisco sessions are now open. For Listening Session details, a message from Assistant Secretary Kathleen Martinez, registration information and live streaming video during each event, visit A New Day: We're Listening.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook before, during, and after the Sessions.

Looking Ahead: A Message from Assistant Secretary Kathleen Martinez

With the books now closed on 2009, many business owners and organization leaders are assessing their plans and priorities for the months and year ahead. This is certainly true at the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), and I'm excited to share some of the ideas and initiatives that will shape our work in 2010.

Read more about Looking Ahead: A Message from Assistant Secretary Kathleen Martinez in the January issue of Business Sense…

Inclusion in the Green Talent Pipeline

On Wednesday, December 16, Assistant Secretary for Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) Kathy Martinez and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment Training Administration (ETA) Gerri Fiala participated in a panel discussion focused on creating strategies for inclusion of people with disabilities in the green talent pipeline. Martinez stressed that "ODEP and ETA will work together to ensure that the workforce development system implements universal design strategies for all providers, thus opening doors to many individuals previously untapped as workers in the green economy."

Read Assistant Secretary Martinez’ Remarks

View the Slideshow

New Resources Available to Speed Federal Hiring of Individuals with Disabilities

No one delights in the prospect of spending three plus months trying to fill a position, particularly when it takes an average of 102 days to complete all of the steps in the competitive hiring process, from making the request to making the appointment.

No one likes to deal with these built-in barriers when seeking a job in the federal government.

There is a solution.

Over the years, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has introduced different hiring authorities to assist in streamlining the hiring process. One such hiring authority is Schedule A, which is an Excepted Service appointing authority which may be used to hire individuals with disabilities.

Using the Schedule A appointing authority, qualified candidates who meet the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) guidelines can be hired non-competitively ―

• without the typical recruitment headaches;
• without posting and publicizing the position; and
• without going through the certificate process.

The core of the new Schedule A hiring resource package is a set of quick reference guides that provide Hiring Managers, Disability Program Managers and/or Selective Placement Coordinators, HR professionals, Applicants with Disabilities, and Service Providers with the tools needed to process Schedule A appointments.

Click here to visit the Schedule A section of ODEP’s publications page. You can also order copies from ODEP’s online ordering site. You may also want to order the brochure holder.

Read the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Press Release.

Creative! Easily Accessible! Very Informative! A Home Run Product!! These are just a few of the words our customers use to describe Diversifying Your Workforce, A Four-Step Reference Guide to Recruiting, Hiring, & Retaining Employees with Disabilities. We designed this one-of-a-kind resource to provide answers to your critical questions about the employment of persons with disabilities: Incentives & ROI Interviewing & Hiring Achieving Workplace Success Retaining Valued Employees The Guide’s compact, 5x8 size belies the wealth of information it contains. With its spiral bound assembly and the accompanying, accessible format mini-CD, you have everything needed to help you start and keep you going. Also, because the Guide is mirrored on the ODEP website, you can be assured that your information is always up-to-date. This is our most popular product and our stock is moving quickly. Be sure to order yours today. Just click here to access our easy to use, online ordering system.

Leading Disability Organizations Collaborate to Launch National Campaign for Disability Employment

Establishing a new standard for collaboration to increase the employment of people with disabilities, The Campaign for Disability Employment offers a range of education and outreach tools. All are designed to engage employers, people with disabilities, family and educators, and the general public. The Campaign is supported by West Virginia University and receives technical assistance from the Job Accommodation Network (JAN). Funded by the ODEP, it is comprised of the American Association of People with Disabilities, the National Business and Disability Council, Special Olympics, and the U.S. Business Leadership Network.

Read more about the Campaign for Disability Employment. Be sure to visit the Multi-Media Room to experience the new “I CAN” Public Service Announcement and the “What Can YOU Do?” video contest winners.