FEED Meeting April 9, 2025

Wednesday, April 9, 2025
1:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET

Overview

During this interactive meeting, you will learn about new efforts to enhance accessibility and disability employment across the federal workforce. The session will feature updates on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) latest research on retaining people with disabilities in the federal workforce and various related initiatives, including a focus on travel accommodations and an agency spotlight from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

Additionally, you will hear about EARN’s federal research efforts, receive updates, resources, and have the opportunity to engage in discussions on best practices and emerging priorities for disability employment in the federal sector.

Agenda

Introduction (1:00-1:05 p.m.)

• Akinyemi Banjo, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)

Welcoming Remarks (1:05-1:10 p.m.)

• Jennifer Sheehy, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)

EEOC Report: Retaining Persons with Disabilities in the Federal Workforce (1:10-1:40 p.m.)

• Karen Brummond, Social Science Research Analyst, Office of Federal Operations, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Focus on Travel Accommodations (1:40-2:30 p.m.)

• Elyssa Santos-Abrams, Attorney-Advisor, Outreach, Training, and Engagement Division, Federal Sector Programs, Office of Federal Operations, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
• Lisa Mathess, Principal Consultant and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Specialist, Job Accommodation Network (JAN)

Agency Spotlight: U.S. Department of Transportation’s “What We Wish You Knew” (2:30-2:40 p.m.)

• Julia Wolhandler, Disability Resource Analyst, Disability Resource Center, U.S. Department of Transportation

Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability (EARN) Federal Research Efforts (2:40-2:50 p.m.)

• Sarah von Schrader, Director of Research and Program Evaluation, K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Institute on Employment and Disability, Cornell University, EARN

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Updates, Resources, and Closing Remarks (2:50-3:00 p.m.)

• Wendy Doernberg, Senior Attorney-Advisor, Federal Sector Programs, Office of Federal Operations, EEOC

Real time captioning and ASL interpretation will be provided. Should you need additional accommodations, kindly submit your request via the registration form.

*You must be an employee of the U.S. Federal Government with a .gov, .mil, .us, or .edu email address to join FEED.

The Federal Exchange on Employment and Disability (FEED) is an interagency working group focused on information sharing, best practices and collaborative partnerships designed to make the Federal Government a model employer of people with disabilities. Members come from across all sectors of the Federal Government. Managed by representatives from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), FEED participants meet four times per year to share and develop information, resources, and best practices on a variety of topics related to disability employment in the federal sector.

FEED is open to Federal Government employees at any level. Federal employees whose job duties involve recruiting, hiring, retaining, or advancing people with disabilities are encouraged to join. The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability (EARN) supports the management of FEED.

Visit EARN's page on FEED for more information.