WASHINGTON—Oct. 15, 2003 has been designated as National Disability Mentoring Day, Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao announced today.

Begun in 1999, National Disability Mentoring Day promotes career development for students and job seekers with disabilities through one-on-one job shadowing, group visits to public and private employers, and hands-on career exploration. It is held in October in conjunction with National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

“National Disability Mentoring Day helps answer the President's challenge to build a more welcoming, and compassionate nation for all our citizens, which is the cornerstone of his New Freedom Initiative,” Secretary Chao said. “I strongly encourage young people, schools, businesses, and government agencies throughout the country to become involved in this important national event.”

“National Disability Mentoring Day is an opportunity for young people with disabilities to gain firsthand exposure to many of the career options available to them,” said Roy Grizzard, assistant secretary of labor for the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). “It will also make employers and the general public increasingly aware that people with disabilities represent a largely untapped resource for sustaining our national economy and well-being.”

Assistant Secretary Grizzard also gave special recognition to the American Association of People with Disabilities, which co-sponsors National Disability Mentoring Day with ODEP and works with other national organizations to promote career exploration for students and job seekers with disabilities. In 2003, young people in all 50 states, Guam, American Samoa, Japan, Italy, Singapore, France, the United Kingdom, and Australia are expected to participate in National Disability Mentoring Day.

ODEP is the nation’s first assistant secretary-led office that specifically addresses policies that impact employment of people with disabilities. It acts as a catalyst to stimulate new ideas about employment through research and development, policy analysis, grant awards, technical assistance, and the promotion of effective business practices.

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WASHINGTON—The Departments of Labor (DOL) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today they were jointly making up to $13.5 million available to help fulfill the Administration’s goal of ending chronic homelessness among persons with disabilities.

The funding, which is designed to help people with disabilities who are chronically homeless achieve employment, permanent housing, and self-sufficiency, is being made available through a series of cooperative agreements and grants by the agencies. The joint announcement was published in the July 18, 2003 Federal Register.

“In keeping with the promise of President Bush’s New Freedom Initiative and his goal of ending chronic homelessness, today’s action will expand the delivery and implementation of ‘customized employment’ strategies for people with disabilities, so that they may live, work and fully participate in their communities,” Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao said. “I applaud HUD’s partnership with DOL as well as the input of the White House Interagency Council on Homelessness. Together, our efforts will bring a better way to help individuals with disabilities out of chronic homelessness.”

HUD Secretary Mel Martinez said, “Today we take another step towards a day when persons living with disability, addiction or mental illness will no longer have to call the streets their home.” He added “By providing a permanent home and a job to our most vulnerable neighbors, we can meet the Administration’s goal of ending chronic homelessness in this country.”

DOL’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), in cooperation with its Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and its Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS), is making available approximately $3.5 million to award up to four cooperative grant agreements and provide technical assistance under DOL and HUD’s “Ending Chronic Homelessness through Employment and Housing.” The agreements, which range from approximately $500,000 to $625,000, per award, are designed to increase and improve employment opportunities for persons with disabilities who are chronically homeless. In support of this DOL effort, HUD will additionally supplement each cooperative agreement with approximately $2-3 million per award, or up to $10 million.

Applications and eligibility information for this solicitation are available in the Federal Register notice, which can also be accessed through www.dol.gov/odep and www.hud.gov.

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WASHINGTON—Two solicitations to help mentor and successfully transition youth with disabilities to work were published in the June 16, 2003 Federal Register by the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao announced today.

ODEP is making available $3 million to award up to 6 competitive grants in the amount of approximately $500,000,with several main goals: 1) assisting states in assessing youth services; 2) connecting schools and other youth-serving institutions with workplaces and other resources; and, 3) creating a forum for building a system that better meets the transition needs of youth with disabilities and all stakeholders.

Another $450,000 will be available to fund three competitive grants up to $150,000, to organizations that will facilitate delivery of mentoring activities through faith-based and community organizations to promote positive employment and transition outcomes for youth with disabilities. These latter grants are made by ODEP in collaboration with the Department’s Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

Secretary Chao said, “Increasing employment opportunities for young people with disabilities is an integral part of the employment-related objectives of President Bush’s New Freedom Initiative and our nation’s workforce and economy will be enriched by their participation.”

ODEP’s Assistant Secretary of Labor, Roy Grizzard, whose agency administers the grants, added “These grants will help promote positive employment outcomes for youth with disabilities through effective transition and mentoring programs.”

Applications and eligibility information for each grant is available in the Federal Register notice, which can also be accessed through www.dol.gov/odep.

ODEP is the nation’s first Assistant Secretary-led office that specifically addresses policies that impact employment of people with disabilities. It acts as a catalyst to stimulate new ideas about employment through research and development, policy analysis, grant awards, technical assistance, and the promotion of effective business practices.

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WASHINGTON—DisabilityInfo.gov, a comprehensive federal Web site with one-stop access to governmental disability information, has gone over the one-million visitor mark and achieved more than 20 million “hits,” Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced today.

“DisabilityInfo.gov provides Americans with disabilities a direct and easy connection to information and resources they need to become full participants in the 21st Century workforce,” Secretary Chao said.

Assistant Secretary Roy Grizzard, who heads the Office of Disability Employment Policy added, “Although only operational for eight months, DisabilityInfo.gov stands as a shining example of the President and the Secretary’s deep commitment to making government easily accessible to all Americans.”

Since its Oct. 16, 2002 launch, DisabilityInfo.gov has averaged almost 5,000 visitors per day, with the most popular content topics accessed including income, employment, health, housing, education, transportation, and technology. Each visit averages almost eight minutes in duration, according to site statistics, and visitors have come from 136 countries.

Background: As part of the New Freedom Initiative, and in an effort to remove barriers for people with disabilities, President Bush on Aug. 28, 2002, issued an executive memorandum directing federal agencies to work together and develop a comprehensive federal Web site with one-stop access to governmental disability information. Two months later, DisabilityInfo.gov was launched.

It is the result of a collaborative effort across multiple federal agencies and contains information on civil rights, education, employment, job accommodations, housing, technology, transportation, Medicaid and Medicare, and even emergency preparedness. The site is designed to be a single point of entry to access high-quality governmental services and information relevant to people with disabilities, their families, employers, and service providers. The President selected the U.S. Labor Department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy to lead the effort to establish and manage DisabilityInfo.gov, with ongoing content development shared by a myriad of government agencies.

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WASHINGTON—Two solicitations for Customized Grants and High School/High Tech (HS/HT) Development and Implementation Grants were published in the June 6, 2003 Federal Register by the Office of Disability Employment Policy, Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao announced today.

ODEP is making available $2.5 million to award up to five competitive Customized Grants, ranging from approximately $500,000 to $750,000, for strategic planning and implementation activities designed to improve the employment and career advancement of people with disabilities. The goal of these grants is to build the capacity in local One-Stop Centers to provide customized employment services to persons with disabilities who may not now be regularly targeted for services by the One-Stops, and to allow review of policies and introduction of new and innovative practices.

In addition, ODEP is making $1.8 million available to award up to eight competitive Implementation and Development Grants, in the amount of approximately $225,000, to assist in implementing the HS/HT program on a statewide basis. HS/HT is a career development program designed to provide high school-age youth with disabilities an opportunity to explore careers in science, mathematics and technology or gain further education that may lead to technology-related careers. Application and eligibility information for each grant is posted in the Federal Register notice, which can also be accessed through www.dol.gov/odep.

“These grants directly support the goals of President Bush’s New Freedom Initiative of bringing persons with disabilities into the 21st Century workforce,” said Secretary Chao.

ODEP’s Assistant Secretary of Labor, Roy Grizzard, whose agency administers the grants added, “These grants will continue our efforts to develop model programs and innovative approaches to promote increased employment of people with disabilities.”

ODEP also announced the availability of a new, free “High School/High Tech Program Manual,” which will assist sites in incorporating transition design features into their programs. The manual has four design features: preparatory experiences, connecting activities, work-based experiences, and youth development and leadership activities. These design features are supported by evidence-based research regarding what youth with disabilities need to succeed in adulthood. The manual is also available from ODEP’s web site by accessing the “Programs” link.

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WASHINGTON—Two grant solicitations were published in the May 29, 2003 Federal Register by the Office of Disability Employment Policy, Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao announced today.

The grants, totaling $3.0 million, will be available for Home Modification and Working for Freedom, Opportunity and Real Choice through Community Employment (WorkFORCE) Action. These two categories are related to the implementation of the Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision, which ensures that individuals with significant disabilities have the opportunity to transition from institutional settings to independent living in the community and employment.

“These grants will help to promote the goal of the President's New Freedom Initiative to advance the inclusion of Americans with disabilities into the 21st Century workforce,” Secretary Chao said.

ODEP’s Assistant Secretary of Labor, Roy Grizzard, whose agency administers the grants added, “These initiatives will go a long way towards supporting individuals with disabilities as they seek and maintain employment.”

A total of up to $2.5 million dollars for up to 6 competitive grants will be awarded by ODEP under WorkFORCE Action. Additionally, the agency, in partnership with the Department’s Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, is making up to $500,000 available to award up to ten competitive grants for Home Modification to facilitate employment outcomes. For people with disabilities, an often-cited barrier to participation in work and community life is the lack of affordable home modifications, such as ramps, widened doorways, lowered countertops and cabinetry accessible to those who use wheelchairs. These grants seek to provide home modifications so that individuals may live and work in their communities.

Application and eligibility information for each grant is posted in the Federal Register notice, which can also be accessed through www.dol.gov/odep.

ODEP is the nation’s first Assistant Secretary-led office that specifically addresses policies that impact upon the employment of people with disabilities. It acts as a catalyst to stimulate new ideas about employment through research and development, policy analysis, grant awards, technical assistance, and the promotion of effective business practices.

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WASHINGTON—More than 260 college students and recent graduates with disabilities have been placed in summer and permanent jobs since the Labor Department’s Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) was announced in April, U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao said today.

States that have placed the most students through WRP include Maryland, Virginia, New York, Texas, California, Florida, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. Also according to WRP statistics, about one-third of the students placed in jobs under the Labor Department program identified themselves as “minority.”

“President Bush, through his New Freedom Initiative, has placed a priority on recognizing the untapped employment potential of Americans with disabilities, and the need to expand job opportunities available to them,” Secretary Chao said. “The WRP is succeeding in that mission and giving students with disabilities the break they need to launch successful working careers.”

Roy Grizzard, Assistant Secretary for the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), which helps administer the program, said, “WRP is a key resource for potential employers to find qualified students and recent graduates who are eager to enter the workforce and prove what they can do.”

ODEP, in cooperation with the Department of Defense, offers employers a complimentary CD-ROM database of qualified students by field of study, state or school, in disciplines ranging from computer sciences and business, to communications engineering and office administration. Searches generate candidate profiles, academic and demographic data, and contact information from applications recruited by the program from more than 180 colleges and universities in over 40 states and territories. The CD-ROM and additional information are available from www.wrpjobs.com, or by contacting ODEP at (202) 693-7880.

Other resources ODEP offers to business to employ people with disabilities are the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) and the Employer Assistance and Referral Network (EARN). JAN is a toll-free information and referral service on job accommodations for people with disabilities. It can be reached at 1-800-526-7234 or at www.jan.wvu.edu. EARN, a national toll-free telephone and electronic information referral service, helps employers in locate and recruit qualified workers with disabilities. EARN can be reached at 1-866-Earn Now (1-866-327-6669) or via its Website (www.earnworks.com).

ODEP also encourages employers and employees to access www.DisabilityInfo.gov, a cross-government portal on disability easily accessible to all Americans.

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WASHINGTON—Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao has selected “America Works Best When All Americans Work” as the official theme for October’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

“The theme, America Works Best When All Americans Work, emphasizes the Bush Administration’s position of economic opportunity through job creation,” said Chao. “It also builds upon the accomplishments of the President’s New Freedom Initiative which has created opportunities for persons with disabilities to be fully integrated into the 21st Century workforce.”

Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) Assistant Secretary Roy Grizzard said, “The selection of the theme will especially help the private sector, federal, state and local governments, and advocacy organizations plan events and programs that showcase the abilities and skills of job seekers and working Americans who have disabilities.”

ODEP is the nation’s first Assistant Secretary-led office that specifically addresses policies that impact upon the employment of people with disabilities. It acts as a catalyst to stimulate new ideas about employment through research and development, policy analysis, grant awards, technical assistance, and the promotion of effective business practices.

Background: Public Law 176, enacted by Congress in 1945, designated the first week in October as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” President Harry S. Truman designated the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities to carry out the law. Congress changed the name to “National Disability Employment Awareness Month” in 1988. The responsibility for leading the nationwide recognition was transferred to ODEP in 2001.

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WASHINGTON—Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today urged an international audience of disability experts to “continue to bring focus and awareness to solutions that insure the full inclusion of persons with disabilities into the 21st century workforce.”

Secretary Chao told attendees to Pathways to Work in the 21st Century: A UK-US Seminar of Exchange, that the innovative programs and practices contained in President Bush's New Freedom Initiative should be a starting point for exchanging ideas to improve employment opportunities, transportation options and assistive technology systems for persons of all ages with disabilities. She added, “All of us have got to continue to work toward a world where all individuals are respected for who they are, celebrated for their abilities, and encouraged to realize their full potential and achieve their dreams.”

Secretary Chao welcomed the United Kingdom contingent, headed by Andrew Smith, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. Delegates to the seminar also heard from Deputy Labor Secretary D. Cameron Findlay and Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) Assistant Secretary Roy Grizzard. ODEP is the nation’s first Assistant Secretary-led office that specifically addresses policies that impact upon the employment of people with disabilities. It acts as a catalyst to stimulate new ideas about employment through research and development, policy analysis, grant awards, technical assistance, and the promotion of effective business practices.

The three-day event, co-hosted by the US Labor Department and the UK Department for Work and Pensions, is designed to compare and exchange information about effective strategies and practices for increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Approximately 75 experts, including disability advocates, government officials, and employers, representing a variety of critical perspectives from the US and the UK were invited to attend the event. The two plenary and five breakout sessions will focus on such topics as “Filling the Jobs Gap; Universal Standards for Accessible Technology; Incentives to Work; and, Community-Based Solutions.” At the end of the seminar, attendees will tour a Job Link One-Stop Employment Center in Alexandria, Virginia.

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WASHINGTON—Government and private sector employers may take advantage of a free resource to identify college students and recent graduates with disabilities for their summer and permanent job openings, U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced today. The department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), in cooperation with the Department of Defense, now offers a database of more than 1,600 job seekers with disabilities through its Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP).

“WRP gives many students with disabilities the break they need to launch successful careers. They acquire valuable work experience, gain confidence, and make important job connections,” Chao said. “The WRP also fulfills President Bush’s New Freedom Initiative pledge to promote employment opportunities for people with disabilities throughout the nation.”

Through WRP’s complimentary CD-ROM database, employers can search for potential applicants by field of study, state or school, in disciplines ranging from computer sciences and business, to communications engineering and office administration. Searches generate candidate profiles, academic and demographic data, and contact information from applications recruited by the program from more than 180 colleges and universities in over 40 states and territories. The CD-ROM and additional information are available from www.wrpjobs.com, or by contacting ODEP at (202) 693-7880.

Although this year’s WRP has just started, almost 150 students have already been placed in public and private sector positions said Roy Grizzard, assistant secretary for ODEP. He said WRP applicants are valuable because they can undertake special projects postponed for lack of time or resources, assist permanent staff with key projects, share innovative technical skills, and assume responsibilities of staff on vacation or leave.

“As a former educator, I find the WRP is an important resource for employers to find an exceptional pool of talented applicants with disabilities for summer and permanent positions. Applicants are highly motivated students and recent graduates who are eager to prove their abilities in the workforce,” said Grizzard.

Other resources ODEP offers to business to employ people with disabilities are the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) and the Employer Assistance and Referral Network (EARN). JAN is a toll-free information and referral service on job accommodations for people with disabilities. It can be reached at 1-800-526-7234 or at www.jan.wvu.edu. EARN, a national toll-free telephone and electronic information referral service, helps employers in locate and recruit qualified workers with disabilities. EARN can be reached at 1-866-Earn Now (1-866-327-6669) or via its Website (www.earnworks.com).

ODEP also encourages employers and employees to access www.DisabilityInfo.gov, a cross-government portal on disability easily accessible to all Americans.

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Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.