Nov 12, 2010 Newsletter

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New Toolkit Helps Companies Hire More Veterans

A new employer toolkit is now available on the Labor Department’s “America’s Heroes at Work” website. This free toolkit is designed to assist and educate employers who want to include veterans and wounded warriors in their recruitment and hiring efforts. Featuring a straightforward six-step process, the toolkit pinpoints helpful tips and outlines important steps to take when designing a veterans hiring initiative. “The launch of this toolkit is especially timely given the October observance of National Disability Employment Awareness Month,” said Kathleen Martinez, Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy. “Disabled Veterans, including those experiencing ‘invisible’ wounds of war like traumatic brain injury and combat stress, are an important segment of the disability population that needs our support when transitioning to civilian employment.”  To view the Toolkit, visit http://www.americasheroesatwork.gov/forEmployers/HiringToolkit/

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President Obama Signs Historic Technology Access Bill

Last month, President Obama signed into law the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act.  The legislation requires smart phones, television programs and other communications technologies to be accessible to people with vision or hearing loss.  The legislation is expected to create more opportunities for individuals with disabilities in the workplace, the classroom, and in everyday life.  Read more.

Veterans with Disabilities find Government Jobs Through New White House Initiative

President Obama recently signed an Executive Order creating more employment opportunities in the federal government.  The Executive Order on the Employment of Veterans in the federal government establishes the Veterans Employment Initiative for the Executive Branch, and underscores to federal agencies the importance of recruiting and training veterans.  The initiative aims to increase the employment of veterans within the Executive Branch and helps recently hired veterans adjust to service in a civilian capacity.

The United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) reports that veterans constitute more than 25 percent of employees in the federal workforce. Veterans with disabilities constitute 6 percent of that total.  For Fiscal Year 2008, nearly 35 percent of all federal new hires were veterans and 23 percent were disabled.

Click to learn more about the new veteran employment initiative and stay connected.

The Disability Employment Situation:

October 2010*

Employment rate of persons ages 16-64 with disabilities: 28.2%

Employment rate of persons ages 16-64 without disabilities: 69.9%

Employment Gap: 41.7%

Commonly Used Terms

*In September 2010, the employment rate of people 16-64 years of age was 28.2% for persons with disabilities compared with 69.9% for persons without a disability. The gap between the employment rate of persons of 16-64 years of age with and without disabilities was 41.7%, not seasonally adjusted.

Workforce Recruitment Program Helps Company Hire Qualified Employee

Consecutive summer internships through the Office of Disability Employment Policy’s Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) lead Prudential Financial to hire 22-year-old Alexander Forbes, who provides analysis and technical support on important financial data required under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regulating financial and corporate governance.

Alex interned with Prudential the last two summers through the WRP program giving him and the company the opportunity to ensure mutual interests and a good fit both in terms of job skills and work environment.  Alex credits WRP with giving him confidence in his skills and providing his co-workers with “the ability to look beyond my disability and see the talent that was there.”

The Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) is designed to help employers and federal agencies fill summer internship or permanent positions with talented college students with disabilities.   The WRP database, which will be available at the end of December, contains  over 2000 profiles of pre-screened students and recent graduates  from more than 230 colleges and universities nationwide, representing all majors, and ranging from college freshmen to graduate and law students.

Employers interested in recruiting students for 2011 summer internships or for permanent positions should complete the form. EARN’s professional staff will review the job posting and provide matched candidates for consideration within five business days. The WRP has provided employment opportunities for over 5,000 students since 1995.  For more information on becoming a part of the WRP, contact an Employment Specialist at 855-Ask-EARN (1-855-275-3276).

To read Alex’s story in its entirety, visit: http://www.dol.gov/_sec/newsletter/

First Autistic Presidential Appointee Speaks Out

Last December, President Obama appointed Ari Ne’eman to the National Council on Disability (NCD), a panel that advises the President and Congress on ways of reforming health care, schools, support services and employment policy to make society more equitable for people with all types of disability.  Ne’eman is the first openly autistic White House appointee in history, and one of the youngest at age 22.

Ne’eman’s appointment has been controversial in part because he advocates focusing on quality of life and civil rights for those in the autistic community, while most conversations center on questions of causation and cure.  Says Ne’eman, “We need to stop making autism advocacy about trying to create a world where there aren’t any autistic people, and start building one in which autistic people have the rights and support they deserve.”  To read more, visit http://www.autismsupportnetwork.com/news/first-autistic-presidential-appointee-speaks-out-29P339023#ixzz123ury5b2

Study shows U.S. Employers still cool on hiring Job-seekers with Disabilities

A recent survey by the Kessler Foundation and the National Organization on Disability (NOD) found that while many American companies say that hiring people with disabilities is important, few of them actually hire these job seekers or take steps to provide a welcoming work environment.

The national poll of 411 senior executives and human resource managers found that 70 percent of respondents’ companies have diversity policies or programs in place, but only two-thirds of those include disability as a component.

To read more, visit https://kesslerfoundation.org/research/articles.php?id=102

New Technology Helping Hearing-impaired Employees

In an effort to broaden its focus on adaptive communications, the United States Army now provides technology for employees with hearing impairments that will make it easier for them to communicate with co-workers.  Interpreters, video phones, and other adaptive technology items ensure that employees who are deaf or heard of hearing can bring their valuable skills to the table easily and efficiently.   There are over 2200 employees with hearing impairments in the Army.

For more information, visit http://www.army.mil/-news/2010/10/21/46961-disability-awareness-new-technology-helping-deaf-employees/

Now Showing! Campaign for Disability Employment “I Can” PSA Premieres on Big Screen

During National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), the Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE) collaborated with AMC Entertainment to bring the “I Can” public service announcement (PSA) to select movie theaters nationwide, thanks to the efforts of one of the CDE’s founding partners, the U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN).

The “I Can” PSA features seven people with disabilities sharing what they can do on the job when given the opportunity and reminds everyone that at work, it’s what people CAN do that matters.

“I Can” has aired nearly 20,000 times on national television and cable stations and more than 20,000 times on national radio stations.  The video, radio and print versions of the PSA have earned a combined estimated $8.2 million in donated media time.

The Campaign for Disability Employment is funded under contract #DOLJ079426341 by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy.