WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy today announced $2,007,322 in grants to Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, New York, and Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, Tennessee, as part of the Pathways to Careers: Community Colleges for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities Demonstration Project.

Onondaga Community College will receive $978,453 and Pellissippi State Community College will receive $1,028,869 to conduct pilot projects that research, develop, test and evaluate innovative strategies for providing inclusive education and career development services to youth with disabilities between the ages of 14 and 24. The aim is to determine what works to help young people with disabilities acquire the skills, degrees and credentials needed for high-wage, high-skill employment so that these effective practices can be shared and replicated throughout the community college system.

"These federal awards will help our nations community colleges prepare youth with disabilities with the necessary skills for jobs in high-growth, high-demand industries," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. "Expanding services to students with disabilities will also provide insights into making curricula more accessible for all students."

These grants are also closely aligned with the Obama administration's job-driven training principles. Local employers will be involved in identifying necessary skills and competencies; assisting with curriculum and program design; providing education and training resources; and hiring qualified program participants.

Grantees will use ODEP's Guideposts for Success as a framework to structure projects. They will use industry-recognized credentials, including certifications, diplomas and degrees, to provide program participants with the skills needed to attain integrated employment at competitive wages.

ODEP works to increase the number and quality of employment opportunities for people with disabilities by developing and influencing policies and practices. For more information on ODEP and these grant awards, visit http://www.dol.gov/odep/.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy today announced a total of $8,422,574 in continued funding for organizations that develop models, provide technical assistance and share best practices to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

"Individuals with disabilities have skills and experiences that employers need," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. "These federal grants will help connect these workers with employers and put them on the path to economic self-sufficiency."

The recipients and the amount of funding they are receiving are:

• The Add Us In initiative will receive a total of $2,774,116. The eight recipients who are participating in this initiative are: 1) the National Organization on Disability in New York; 2) The WorkPlace Inc. in Bridgeport, Connecticut; 3) the TransCen Inc. in Rockville, Maryland; 4) the University of Illinois at Chicago in Chicago; 5) the University of Missouri — Kansas City in Kansas City, Missouri; 6) The University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma; 7) the Integrated Recovery Network in Los Angeles and 8) the World Institute on Disability in Berkeley, California. Each of the recipients is leading a consortium working to identify and develop strategies to increase the capacity of small businesses, including those in underrepresented and historically excluded communities, to employ youth and young adults with disabilities.
• The West Virginia University Research Corp. in Morgantown, W.Va., is receiving $2,499,901 to operate the Job Accommodation Network. JAN is a free and confidential consulting service that provides individualized worksite accommodation solutions and technical assistance spanning the complete range of disabilities and job functions to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other disability-related legislation. It also provides information about self-employment and small business ownership opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
• The Institute for Educational Leadership in the District of Columbia is receiving $1,099,984 to operate the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth. These funds will be used to continue the center's work building capacity within and across youth service delivery systems to improve employment and postsecondary education outcomes for youth with disabilities. The center will have three areas of focus going forward: 1) career exploration, management and planning; 2) youth development and leadership; and 3) professional development.
• The National Disability Institute in the District of Columbia is receiving $1,098,573 to operate the National Center on Leadership for Employment and Advancement of Citizens with Disabilities. These funds will support the LEAD Center's ongoing efforts to conduct policy and research initiatives focused on improving employment outcomes and economic advancement for individuals with disabilities. Additionally, these resources will enable the LEAD Center to continue developing policies and guidance on best practices in retention and return-to work, customizing employment, and conducting policy analysis to ensure that American Job Centers nationwide are able to effectively serve job seekers with disabilities.
• The Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America in Arlington, Virginia, is receiving $950,000 to operate ODEP's Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology. PEAT is a multifaceted initiative working to advance the employment, retention and career advancement of people with disabilities through the development, adoption and promotion of accessible technology.

ODEP works to increase the number and quality of employment opportunities for people with disabilities by developing and influencing policies and practices. For more information, visit http://www.dol.gov/odep/.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy invites state governments and other interested stakeholders to participate in an online dialogue from Monday. Aug. 4, to Monday, Aug. 18, on hiring, retaining and advancing workers with disabilities. "State Governments: What Can We Do? Join the Conversation for Change," will help inform ODEP's technical assistance to states.

"State governments can play a critical role when it comes to increasing the employment rate of people with disabilities," said Kathy Martinez, assistant secretary of labor for disability employment policy. "We need to fully understand their needs and how we can assist them so they, in turn, can foster increased employment of people with disabilities in state government and in the private sector."

The online dialogue, will be facilitated through ODEP's ePolicyWorks initiative and moderated by ODEP's employer policy team. To register and participate, visit http://EmployerDialogue.ePolicyWorks.org/.

ODEP invites state government disability employment professionals, state human resource and diversity professionals, and all others with insight into disability employment issues to participate in the dialogue. Participants are encouraged to share new or innovative approaches to employing individuals with disabilities and to comment or vote on posts made by others.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy today announced the availability of $2,083,300 for two cooperative agreements to improve post-secondary education and employment opportunities for youth with disabilities through the Pathways to Careers: Community Colleges for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities Demonstration Project.

Each cooperative agreement may receive up to $1,041,650 to fund a pilot project that will build the capacity of community colleges to meet the educational and career development needs of youth with disabilities, including those with significant disabilities. The pilots will provide for researching, developing, testing and evaluating innovative systems to deliver inclusive integrated education and career development services.

"Our nation's community colleges are a tremendous resource for anyone seeking to position themselves for high-growth, high-demand careers, and they can be an especially critical link for youth with disabilities," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathy Martinez. "This federal funding will ensure that these young people have opportunities to develop top-notch skills as they transition from school to the world of work."

To be eligible, grant applicants must be: institutes of higher education that provide education and career training that can be completed in two years or less and recipients of funding through the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant program. Grantees will be required to use the Guideposts for Success, developed by ODEP in collaboration with the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth, as a framework in developing their projects. They must also establish partnerships with public workforce systems; intermediary organizations serving as conveners, brokers or technical assistance providers; philanthropic, business-related, nonprofit, community-based or labor organizations; youth-focused disability-serving organizations; state or local disability-serving organizations; and local education agencies.

The grant-funded programs must serve youth and young adults with disabilities between the ages of 14 and 24. This award will cover a 60-month period of performance and will fund the first 12-month budget period. ODEP, at its discretion, may make available continuation awards for additional 12-month budget periods through the end of the period of performance.

The full announcement for this cooperative agreement opportunity (SCA-14-03), including eligibility requirements, particularly regarding the partnerships, for applicants, can be found athttp://www.grants.gov or http://www.dol.gov/odep/. Applications will be accepted until Monday, Aug. 11. All grants will be awarded by Sept. 30.

ODEP provides national leadership on disability employment policy by developing and influencing policies and practices, building collaborative partnerships, and delivering authoritative and credible data on the employment of people with disabilities. For more information on ODEP and the grant awards, visit http://www.dol.gov/odep/.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy today announced the availability of $1,850,000 to fund a cooperative agreement to manage and operate the National Employer Policy, Research and Technical Assistance Center on the Employment of People with Disabilities.

The center will increase the commitment and capacity of employers to recruit, hire, retain and advance people with disabilities by:

1. analyzing employer research, policies and practices related to disability employment;
2. researching effective employer engagement strategies; and
3. developing and providing outreach and technical assistance to targeted employers, such as federal agencies, federal contractors, small businesses and state governments.

"ODEP's work is about strengthening America's workforce through diverse perspectives and ensuring that people with disabilities have equal opportunity to contribute their skills and talents," said Kathy Martinez, assistant secretary of labor for disability employment policy. "Employers want the best from their employees, and a key strategy is to adopt workplace policies and practices that encourage people to bring their best selves — their whole selves — to work."

To be considered eligible for this cooperative agreement, an applicant must be a business membership association, an institution of higher education, an employment service provider or a national disability-serving organization. Applicants are also required to have partnerships in place with entities from each of the other eligible applicant categories, as well as with a top-tiered business school and a state policy association. A technical panel will review the applications to assess the significance, value and viability of the proposed project; the organizational capacity and quality of key personnel; the budget and resource capacity; and the quality of the management and evaluation plans.

ODEP provides national leadership on disability employment policy by developing and influencing disability employment policies and practices, building collaborative partnerships, and delivering authoritative and credible data on the employment of people with disabilities.

The full announcement for this cooperative agreement opportunity (SCA-14-06), including eligibility requirements for applicants, can be found at http://www.grants.gov or http://www.dol.gov/odep/. Applications will be accepted until Monday, Aug. 11.

WASHINGTON — Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathleen Martinez and Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society President Emeritus Richard Bancells signed an alliance agreement to promote disability employment and total inclusion for people with disabilities in the workforce today at the Nationals Park baseball stadium.

"The Office of Disability Employment Policy is delighted to join forces with PBATS because we both agree that whether on the field or in the workplace, it's what people can do that matters," Martinez said. "We look forward to working with PBATS in the coming years to help shape societal attitudes and improve employment outcomes for all qualified people with disabilities."

Since its inception in 2006, ODEP's alliance initiative enables organizations to work with the agency to develop and implement model policies and initiatives that increase the recruitment, hiring, retention and career advancement of employees with disabilities. Today's alliance stems from a multi-year PBATS initiative called "Ability Transcends Challenges," which seeks to educate the public about the talents of people with disabilities through public service announcements, ballpark events and other activities.

"PBATS is proud to be promoting the role that people with disabilities have played throughout baseball's history, while speaking to the important lessons of inclusion and the need to harness this valuable source of American talent," said Bancells. "This alliance presents an opportunity to help change America's perception about the value of people with disabilities and demonstrate that truth using the power of baseball. PBATS is honored to be joining ODEP on this issue of major national importance."

ODEP's mission is to provide national leadership by developing and influencing policies aimed at increasing the employment of people with disabilities. In addition to today's agreement with PBATS, ODEP has alliances with Higher Education Recruitment Consortium, National Association of State Workforce Agencies, National Industry Liaison Group, National Organization of Nurses with Disabilities, National Working Positive Coalition, Society of Human Resource Management, US Business Leadership Network and Youth Transitions Collaborative/The Center for Health Care Transition Improvement.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy and the National Council on Disability invite the public to participate in an online dialogue on the importance of technology accessibility and usability, particularly in regards to the universal design in the development of workplace technology products.The virtual town hall runs from today, May 15, Global Accessibility Awareness Day, to Friday, May 30. "Advancing Accessibility and Inclusion in Social Media — The Tech Industry Perspective" is the second of three online events on social media accessibility co-hosted by ODEP and NCD.

Universal design involves developing products and virtual environments in a manner that can be used by the widest possible range of people. This month's dialogue will explore how universal design can be incorporated at the onset of social media development in order to create accessible and usable technology; avoid expensive retrofitting; and foster a virtual world that is accessible to all users, including workers, customers and job seekers with disabilities.

Through the use of an innovative crowdsourcing tool, which itself has been optimized for accessibility and usability, participants will share their ideas on how universal design can be applied to social media, as well as the challenges faced in the technology field when pushing the limits of accessibility. Participants will also be asked to consider the input received from the first dialogue in the series, which generated creative user-driven solutions for making social media features and services more accessible.

"Businesses of all shapes and sizes use social media," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathy Martinez. "It's in the best interest of social media providers to ensure that their technology is inclusive and accessible for all users, including those with disabilities. By participating in this online dialogue, members of the technology industry will help us generate new ideas for extending the power of social media to all users."

"The National Council on Disability is delighted to be co-hosting this second online dialogue with ODEP," said NCD member Janni Lehrer-Stein. "Participants will help us understand how universal design can be applied to social media, and how to go about promoting an accessibility mindset in various stages of the product development process."

The national dialogue is coordinated under ODEP's ePolicyWorks initiative. To participate, register at http://socialmediatech.epolicyworks.org.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of approximately $15 million in grants to state workforce agencies to develop flexible and innovative strategies to increase the participation of people with disabilities in existing career pathways programs in the public workforce system.

These grants represent the fifth round of funding through the Disability Employment Initiative, a joint program of the Labor Department's Employment and Training Administration and the Office of Disability Employment Policy.

"People with disabilities have enormous contributions to make to our economy, and they are still disproportionately represented among the unemployed," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. "These grants will help ensure that these workers have better access to training programs that lead to good jobs and economic self-sufficiency."

The DEI intends to build the public workforce system's capacity to effectively serve youth and adults with disabilities. To date the department has awarded more than $81 million through four rounds of funding to 26 projects that have resulted in significant improvements in the delivery of services to people with disabilities through the public workforce system. Improvements include: increasing the accessibility of American Job Centers; training front-line AJC and partner staff; and increasing partnerships and collaboration across numerous systems that are critical for assisting youth and adults with disabilities in securing meaningful employment.

Through the current competition, the department will build upon these and other successful DEI project strategies to ensure that people with disabilities can access career pathways programs through the AJCs nationwide. The department intends to award at least one grant in each of three population focus areas:

1. projects that focus on adults (ages 18 and older) with disabilities;
2. projects that focus on youth (ages 14-24) with disabilities; and
3. projects that focus on individuals (ages 14 and older) with significant disabilities.

For purposes of this grant application solicitation, individuals with significant disabilities include job seekers who: have physical, sensory, mental, cognitive, intellectual or developmental disabilities; receive Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance benefits; and require significant accommodations, supports and customization of job responsibilities in order to obtain and maintain integrated employment at or above minimum wage.

The department anticipates awarding eight grants, ranging from $1.5 to $2.5 million, to be spent over a 42-month period. Workforce agencies interested in applying for this funding (SGA/DFA PY 13-11) should visit http://www.grants.gov. The deadline to apply is July 8, 2014.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the 2014 official theme of National Disability Employment Awareness Month: "Expect. Employ. Empower." Observed in October, NDEAM is a nationwide campaign that raises awareness about disability employment issues and honors the many diverse contributions of America's workers with disabilities.

"We all have a role to play in — and benefit to gain from — increasing opportunities for meaningful employment for people with disabilities," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathy Martinez. "This year's theme encapsulates this in three powerful words. It conveys that advancing disability employment is about much more than just hiring. It's about creating a continuum of inclusion. And the first step on this continuum is expectation."

This year's NDEAM theme is the outcome of a highly collaborative process. The department's Office of Disability Employment Policy began by holding a national online dialogue in which members of the public were invited to submit ideas. Facilitated through ODEP's ePolicyWorks initiative using crowdsourcing technology, this dialogue attracted 350 registrants who together submitted 126 different theme ideas. In addition to contributing their own ideas, registrants could comment and vote on those submitted by others. ODEP then narrowed the list of contenders in collaboration with members of the Campaign for Disability Employment at their quarterly meeting April 9, which was held at Special Olympics headquarters in Washington, D.C.

NDEAM traces its history to 1945, when Congress declared the first week in October each year "National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week." In 1962, the word "physically" was deleted to acknowledge the needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. In 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and adopted its current name. Upon its establishment in 2001, ODEP assumed responsibility for NDEAM, including the selection of its annual theme.

Although NDEAM is recognized in October, its theme is announced each spring to assist workplaces, individuals and communities across the nation in planning. For more information, including specific ideas for how different types of organizations can participate, visit http://www.dol.gov/odep /topics/ndeam/.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy and the National Council on Disability invite the public to participate in a virtual town hall dialogue, "Advancing Accessibility and Inclusion in Social Media — The User Experience," which will examine the accessibility barriers of social media for individuals with disabilities, including jobseekers and workers. This crowdsourcing event will take place from Monday, March 17, to Friday, April 4, and it will be the first in a series of three social media accessibility online events taking place over the next three months.

"Social media is transforming how we engage with customers, employees, jobseekers and other stakeholders," said Kathy Martinez, assistant secretary of labor for disability employment policy. "But when social media is inaccessible to people with disabilities, it excludes a sizeable segment of our population. This online dialogue will help us pinpoint social media accessibility barriers, and discover new solutions for ensuring these digital services can be used and optimized by everyone."

"The National Council on Disability is privileged to co-host this online dialogue with ODEP as part of an ongoing collaboration between federal agencies and private-sector companies invested in the social media space," said Janni Lehrer-Stein, chairperson of access and integration for NCD. "We anticipate that this online discussion will present new and exciting opportunities for Americans with disabilities and people around the world. Social media opens up a new marketplace of ideas and access for everyone, including people with disabilities, adding value and providing new opportunities through inclusive engagement in the virtual world."

The conversation will explore the value of social media in the lives of people with disabilities, particularly around work, and identify accessibility issues and creative approaches to making social media tools more accessible and usable. Participants will be able to discuss their social media experiences and submit ideas, comments and vote on potential solutions. The information gathered from this dialogue will then help NCD and ODEP further collaborate with the social media industry to implement solutions.

The national dialogue is being coordinated under ODEP's ePolicyWorks initiative. To register, visit http://NCD-ODEP.SocialMedia.ePolicyWorks.org.