Workers with Disabilities: Talent for a Winning Team!
July 5th, 2007 Posted by Amelia“America’s employers benefit when they provide opportunities for Americans with disabilities to work,” according to Roy Grizzard, Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Office of Disability Employment Policy, or ODEP. “A winning team will include people with disabilities.”
Under Grizzard’s leadership, ODEP recently introduced a number of exciting developments for people with disabilities. These include more than $14 million in grants to benefit disabled workers, and new guidelines to streamline the process. Employers will also gain access to a nationwide database of job candidates.
All of the programs tie in with this year’s theme, “Workers with Disabilities: Talent for a Winning Team!” The nationwide publicity will culminate in the October celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, designated by the U.S. Congress. The annual program is promoted by ODEP. Many state and local governments participate, as well as employers from the private sector.
The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced $14.2 million for Disability Program Navigators in 15 states plus Puerto Rico. The Disability Program Navigator, or DPN, aims to assist people with disabilities by providing easier access to the myriad services offered at state One-Stop Career Centers. Those services often include resume advice, interview coaching, computer and job skills training.
According to U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, “The $14.2 million in grants will help workers with disabilities access career opportunities generated by America’s growing economy.” Chao adds, “We all have a responsibility to help people with disabilities access job opportunities.”
Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho and Kansas are among the states that will benefit from the DPN grants. This expansion means that the DPN program will be available nationwide at over 400 centers. A total of 30 states plus the District of Columbia currently offer the DPN program. The most recent awards, totaling almost $1 million for each state, will bring the program to 45 states. There are 5 states that have declined to participate in the program.
In a second program, ODEP has issued new guidelines for faith-based and community organizations that serve people with disabilities. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires that these organizations take certain steps to make their facilities and services accessible to people with disabilities. A new brochure, Demystifying Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, explains these requirements in detail.
“Today, more faith-based and community organizations are partnering with the federal government,” said Jedd Medefind, director of the Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. “As a result, they are serving more people with disabilities. This brochure addresses common questions relating to Section 504 requirements in plain, conversational language.”
Another ODEP program addresses a common complaint. “American employers often express that while they want to include people with disabilities in their recruitment efforts, they do not know where to find qualified candidates,” says Grizzard. “The Workforce recruitment Program bridges this divide by bringing pre-screened job seekers – with varied education and experience – directly to the employers.”
An exciting program to match employers and jobseekers was recently unveiled by ODEP. It is a nationwide database of skilled job candidates who have disabilities. The Workforce Recruitment Program will be used by federal employers, as well as state agencies and hiring managers in the business sector. ODEP’s parent organization, the U.S. Department of Labor, sponsored the program. Employers will be able to access information on more than 2,000 candidates in a wide variety of fields. The system includes job seekers from more than 250 college campuses with undergraduate and post-graduate degrees. Some are disabled students seeking internships, while others are graduates looking for permanent jobs.
Employers can search for qualified candidates by specifying location, degree program, and type of employment. A number of the job seekers are from highly sought-after disciplines, including accounting, administration, business, communications, computers, criminal justice, engineering, law and healthcare.
All of these exciting new programs contribute to the ODEP goal of promoting employment for people with disabilities, and making them part of a winning team for more employers.
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