**ODEP ACCOMPLISHMENTS**
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Capitalizing on the Value of People with Disabilities

*ODEP believes in a world of unlimited employment opportunities for
people with disabilities. This belief is predicated on the value that
workers with disabilities bring to the workplace.*

It is with great pride that I look back over my tenure at ODEP. The
remarkable accomplishments made during this time have been made by a
team of professionals who share my passion for equality and are
dedicated to ODEP's vision of a world in which people with disabilities
have unlimited employment opportunities. Our outreach, research and
policy development are making a difference in the disability employment
arena in many ways.

**[Fostering Change]{.underline}**

One of the most significant accomplishment this year was ODEP's Summit,
*Transforming the American Workplace---A 21^st^ Century Vision*, June
3-4, 2008, held in Washington, D.C. Hundreds of leaders from the
business, government, and non-profit sectors joined ODEP to develop
policy strategies to ensure that workers with disabilities are included
in the fabric of America's workforce.\
\
A world class photo exhibit and booklet were created to document the
history of disability employment in America---understanding our past
unlocks the future. This event brought about the emergence of ODEP as
the nation's leading voice in disability employment.

**[Recognizing Best Practices]{.underline}**

The Secretary of Labor's seventh annual New Freedom Initiative Awards
ceremony held October 8, 2008, recognized 6 employers and 2 non-profit
organizations for instituting comprehensive strategies to enhance the
ability of Americans with disabilities to enter and participate fully in
the 21^st^ century workforce. In addition, two inspiring role models
received the Secretary of Labor's coveted SPIRIT Award.

**[Fostering Positive Change Through Policy]{.underline}**

ODEP Policy Teams have made tremendous strides on a broad range of
issues that are essential to improving employment opportunities for
people with disabilities including: universal design in service
delivery; youth transitioning to work successfully; professional
development of the youth practitioner workforce; increased access to and
the use of workforce flexibilities including customized employment to
promote the hiring, retention and advancement of workers with
disabilities, including mature workers; self-employment and telework as
viable workforce strategies; ensuring that individuals with intellectual
disabilities are earning at least the minimum wage like all other
Americans; effective leveraging of public and private resources, and the
active promotion of Web site accessibility for all users.

**[Promoting Inclusion]{.underline}**

The 2008 theme for October's National Disability Employment Awareness
month ***America's People...America's Talent...America's Strength!***

instilled feelings of patriotism and inclusion for all Americans,
including Americans with Disabilities. More than 25,000 posters
depicting this theme were requested by and distributed to ODEP
constituents. The carvings from Mt. Rushmore emerge on a backdrop of the
Declaration of Independence to convey our nation's founding principles
*that every human being has inherent worth bestowed upon them by the
Creator, and that equality is a fundamental right.*

**[Pitching Talent]{.underline}**

ODEP launched the PITCH Campaign featuring Major League Baseball's
legendary pitcher and Olympic gold medal winner Jim Abbott, who was born
with only one hand. Retiring from baseball in 1998, Jim went on to raise
public awareness that *talent matters*. In 2008 Jim became ODEP's media
spokesperson *PITCHING* the value of people with disabilities in an
extensive series of radio interviews, news articles, live chats plus TV
and baseball appearances.

**[Forging Three New Alliances]{.underline}**

Alliances were signed with the U.S. Business Leadership Network
(9.17.08), the UCLA Anderson School of Management Executive Education
Programs (12.19.08) and the National Governors' Committees on Employment
of People with Disabilities (12.29.08). Each organization teamed with
ODEP to develop and implement model policies, initiatives and strategies
that increase recruiting, hiring, advancing, and retaining workers with
disabilities.

**[Fostering Policy Change through Key Priorities]{.underline}**

> •         The **Business Case for hiring people with disabilities**
> was greatly enhanced and strengthened to include five elements
> essential to business success: human capital, innovation, marketing,
> diversity, corporate social responsibility and return on investment.
>
> •         **Inclusion in the Workplace***\--***A Coordinated Media
> Opportunity**
>
> Four non-governmental organizations joined ODEP in a collaborative
> agreement to co-brand a mass media campaign imprinting the value of
> people with disabilities into public opinion.
>
> •         The Framing of **two new Federal disability policies**
>
> (1)   On January 8, 2009 ODEP formed an inter-agency work group on
> employment of people with disabilities in the Federal government to
> address three policy topics: a Comprehensive, Centralized
> accommodations Fund; Recruitment, Retention and Career Advancement;
> and, Leadership and Innovative Initiatives.
>
> (2)   ODEP commenced research to determine the feasibility of
> establishing a Flexible Spending Account for Personal Assistance
> Services for employees with significant disabilities and their
> families.

**[Leading Change]{.underline}**

-   **The United We Ride Award.** On June 18, 2008 ODEP became the first
    Federal agency to receive the *United We Ride Award* from the U.S.
    Department of Transportation for exceptional leadership in promoting
    coordinated transportation to increase access to jobs for persons
    with disabilities and low income populations.

-   **America's Heroes at Work.** On August 20, 2008 ODEP's Assistant
    Secretary and the Assistant Secretary of VETS joined U.S. Department
    of Labor Secretary Elaine Chao in launching a new Website that is
    pivotal to understanding brain injuries and post-traumatic stress
    disorders sustained by returning service members

-   **PCPID** As Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao's ex-officio
    representative to The President's Committee for People with
    Intellectual Disabilities, Assistant Secretary of Labor for
    Disability Policy Neil Romano assisted the Committee with
    researching and developing its report to President George W. Bush
    for 2009, which focused on the employment of individuals with
    intellectual disabilities.  The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of
    Disability Employment Policy provided its own cutting edge
    employment research for the report, as well as funding and
    co-hosting a public forum featuring the research of many national
    employment experts on the subject of the employment of individuals
    with intellectual disabilities.      

-   **Employment First.** Neil Romano, ODEP's Assistant Secretary,
    hosted a two-day roundtable in October 2008 focused on employment
    for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The roundtable
    brought together key thought leaders from various sectors to discuss
    the creation of public policy promoting a renewed focus on both
    employment and economic self-sufficiency for those individuals. The
    published transcript of the roundtable proceedings contains a
    comprehensive set of policy recommendations building on the
    successful Employment First initiatives operating in several states.
    If fully implemented, the recommendations will create a national
    policy that establishes productive, integrated employment as the
    first option for all individuals with significant disabilities and
    high support needs.

-   **Committee for Purchase:  **As Chair of the Subcommittee on
    Communications and Customer Satisfaction, Assistant Secretary of
    Labor for the Office of Disability Employment Policy, Neil Romano,
    collaborated with Andrew Houghton, Chairperson of the Committee for
    Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, to identify
    an updated course for the AbilityOne program, which provides
    employment to persons with the most significant disabilities through
    the federal procurement contract process.  Mr. Romano's leadership
    assisted the Committee, which has existed since 1938, to vote
    unanimously on January 8, 2009 to chart a new course for the
    program.  The AbilityOne Program will develop a plan that over time
    provides career path options such as community-based jobs;
    competitive wages; and leadership, managerial, and job skill
    training to its workers with disabilities.

-   **ODEP\'s Customized Employment Initiative Receives 2009
    Harvard Innovations in American Government Awards Recognition**

> Harvard University\'s Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and
> Innovation recognized ODEP\'s Customized Employment initiative as an
> exemplary best practice. The Customized Employment initiative
> individualizes the relationship between job seekers and employers in
> ways that meet the needs of both.

**[Increasing Knowledge Through Research]{.underline}**

Through research, ODEP increased the base of disability knowledge,
formed stronger collaborations, and more aggressively involved business
in marketing corporate inclusion strategies to customers and to
shareholders.

> (1)   Valid and reliable employment and unemployment rates for people
> with disabilities will be reported for the first time. This historic
> first is the result of collaboration between ODEP and the Bureau of
> Labor Statistics that resulted in a permanent set of disability
> questions added to the Current Population Survey.
>
> (2)   Data from a recent survey of employer attitudes and practices
> enables ODEP to formulate specific strategies and policies that will
> increase employment of people with disabilities.
>
> (3)   Findings from a corporate culture study revealed the overarching
> influence of inclusive company policies on diverse workforces that
> include workers with disabilities.

**[Reaching Out to ODEP's Constituency]{.underline}**

In June, ODEP successfully launched the first edition of ***Business
\$ense***, a monthly e-newsletter offering nearly 60,000 small
businesses useful tips on hiring and retaining workers with
disabilities. This distribution is anticipated to grow to more than
100,000.

Assistant Secretary Romano traveled across America, conducting more than
50 visits providing keynote remarks at conferences and meetings with
employers, advocates, service providers and government sectors as part
of his *Conversation with America---*a conversation that reinforced the
competence and inherent value of Americans with disabilities.

The Assistant Secretary conducted many interviews resulting in Webcasts,
Webinars, video, teleconferences and published articles (e.g., Federal
News Radio, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Disability
News Radio, NAM radio show *America's Business*) on topics that included
Website accessibility, students ready for employment through the
Workforce Recruitment Program, the value of workers with disabilities
and what the Federal government needs to do to become a model employer.
Each message increasingly touched new audiences, for example, SHRM's
video interview was viewed by 213 members during August becoming among
the most popular videos during that time period.

Seven new fact sheets were created based on research findings and policy
development. Topics include: Creating a Path to Employment, Employee
Assistance Programs, Disability History, Workplace Accommodations,
Essential Skills to Getting a Job, Shaping Tomorrow's Workforce, and
Supporting the Workplace Success of Wounded and Injured Service Members.

In addition, ODEP developed disability message briefs that ran on
SHRM-sponsored Fox 5 Business Briefs and prepared a script for NBC
Universal's The More You Know segment that is scheduled for a spring
2009 air date.

**[Moving Forward]{.underline}**

ODEP will continue to promote full inclusion while influencing society's
perception that people with disabilities are competent, inherently equal
and valued. Fostering workforce diversity within a universally-designed
work environment that allows all workers, including workers with
disabilities, to reach their full potential is our goal.