15th Anniversary Celebration
of ADA
Assistant Secretary
Roy Grizzard, head of the Labor Department’s
Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), participated today
in a celebration of the 15th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA). The event featured workshops focusing on various disability
issues.
Dr Grizzard addressed
disability employment issues at today’s
event. He presented key findings from focus groups of employers and
employment data among participants of ODEP’s customized employment
initiatives.
“ODEP will continue to advance the issues that will put more
and more people with disabilities into the workforce by listening
closely to the sources — workers with disabilities and the
employers who hire them,” said Dr. Grizzard.
A leading authority
on disability employment issues, Dr. Grizzard reported on ODEP’s
efforts, during its first four years of existence, on both the
supply and demand sides of the employment equation to enable employers
to take advantage of the strengths and skills of individuals with
disabilities as a source of reliable, qualified workers.
The seminar in which
Dr. Grizzard participated featured leaders of federal agencies
in the forefront of disability employment. These experts presented
the fundamental and ground-breaking work—policy
to practice. They have undertaken to increase the recruiting, hiring,
retention and promotion of people with disabilities. Panelists discussed
candidate education, preparation and support, in addition to workforce
conditions and employer expectations.
ODEP’s mission
is to develop research-based policy that results in lowering barriers
to employment for youth and adults with disabilities.
The ADA, enacted in 1990,
prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in
the areas of employment, state and local government services, public
accommodation, transportation and telecommunications services. For
more information about the ADA and other disability-related issues,
visit www.Disabilityinfo.gov, a one-stop website for disability-related
information and resources. Disabilityinfo.gov is managed by ODEP
in collaboration with 16 federal agencies and averages over 3,000
visitors a day.
