ion

Initiative 2002 

Department of Labor

ence through Employment
 Elaine L. Chao 

bration, July 26, 2001
1

Independence Through Employment

 on February 1,

orge W. Bush

n to tear down the

y that remain for

sabilities through

Initiative. This

committed to

ADA’s promises of

unity, full partici

nt living, and

ciency become a

 spirit of the ADA,

Initiative is a

an designed to give

sabilities increased

e new technolo

 educational

will also help

lities integrate into

 promote their full

ty life. 

ailed inside are

r the President’s

iative by building

a work environment that truly opensthe door of opportunity to all people,including those with disabilities. AsSecretary of Labor, I stand committedto ensuring that the Department ofLabor’s programs and services areavailable to and accessible by allpeople with disabilities. Throughour new Office of DisabilityEmployment Policy, we will facilitatechanges in policies and practicesacross the Department of Labor andwill work with our colleagues acrossthe Federal government to ensurethat Americans with disabilities aregiven the opportunity to move fromspectators to participants in theworld of work.Sincerely,Elaine L. Chao

e Secretary of Labor

SAGE...
he Office of 

loyment Policy

ustomers include 

disabilities and 

vate employers 

ees; federal, state, 

ment agencies; 

raining 

ility advocates; 

ces and 

oyers. ODEP focuses on both the supply and demand sides of the labor market as they relate to employ- ment of people with disabilities. On the supply side, ODEP works to increase opportunities by expanding access to training, education, employment supports, assistive technology, integrated employment, entrepreneurial development, and

small business opportunities. Onthe demand side, ODEP buildspartnerships with employers andstate and local agencies to increaseawareness of the benefits of hiringpeople with disabilities, and tofacilitate the use of effectivestrategies to address retention andaccommodation issues.

lication. 

ment Policy’s

lopments.

mats.

210

DEP
3

Independence Through Employment

es an equal

eed and a path to

endence.

 remains one of

arriers for people

es. Of the 7.5

e with disabilities

Security rolls,

percent ever leave

eturn to work.

isabilities deserve

engage in

ork and to contri

ca’s economy.

ransportation

nhibit the ability

of people with disabilities totake advantage of job training,employment, and recreationalopportunities. The CommunityTransportation Association ofAmerica (CTAA) reports thatmore than 100 million lowincome, older Americans andpeople with disabilities are atrisk of being unable to provideor afford their own transportation. They are also morelikely to be dependent uponothers for their mobility. CTAAalso notes that almost 40percent of rural countiesthroughout the U.S. have nopublic transportation. 

dom Initiative

REEDOM
king into account

available to the

needs of others

es. However, far

ple with disabi

uld exercise the

n the community

emain in insti

e of a lack of

ased services

eir states and

m Initiative is a

ddress these

rs through

oposals that

ment of and access

niversally

ogies, expand

rtunities, further

ns with

e workforce, and

ers to full

ommunity life. 

nths, the

as taken many

llment of New

e goals. The

President secured funding formany of the New FreedomInitiative’s important programs inthe FY 2002 budget process.Among the highlights is thePresident’s Executive Order 13217,Community-based Alternatives forIndividuals with Disabilities,directing his agencies to swiftlyimplement the Supreme Court’sOlmstead decision. The ExecutiveOrder charged six agencies — theDepartments of Justice, Health andHuman Services, Education, Labor,and Housing and Urban Development, and the Social SecurityAdministration — with evaluatingtheir agency policies and programsto determine whether any shouldbe revised to improve theavailability of community-basedservices for qualified individualswith disabilities.In December 2001, these agencies,joined by the Departments ofTransportation and Veterans Affairsand the Office of PersonnelManagement, presented a
5

Independence Through Employment 

sted a dialogue 

try executives 

ders to increase 

rtation. Equal 

portunity 

r Cari 

ed a series of 

st small 

uiting and hiring 

ilities. When the 

his strong support 

he Rehabilitation 

h requires that 

ormation 

ased by the 

sable by people 

many agencies 

d plans to 

dards and 

ntation. 

ns to be done. 

ersistent barriers 

ransportation, 

munity access 

d, aggressive, 

ures — nothing 

esident’s words, a 

dependence.” With 

and resources of the Cabinet, and through new agency and private sector partner- ships, the President will continue the campaign to advance the full and equal participation of people with disabilities. The President proposed increases in the FY 2002 budget totaling $1.38 billion to fund New Freedom Initiative programs. Congress supported the President’s priorities by funding his initiatives. For FY 2003, the President has proposed increases of $1.39 billion for New Freedom Initiative funding. The Administration will continue to work with Congress to see that the New Freedom Initiative commit- ments are implemented and that its proposals are realized. —An excerpt from “A Progress Report on Fufilling America’s Promise to Americans with Disabilities” May 2002
T he Department of Labor (DOL) is charged with preparing the American workforce of the 21st century for new and better jobs.It is responsible for the administration andenforcement of numerous federal statutes,covering a wide variety of workplace activities foremployers and workers. The programs, services,and benefits afforded through these programs areintended for all employers and workers across thenation, including individuals with disabilities.Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao is committed toensuring that DOL’s programs and services areavailable to and accessible by all people withdisabilities, including those transitioning to thecommunity, or at risk of institutionalization orsegregation from their communities. The DOL iscommitted to the actions and recommendationscontained herein. Bold and innovative initiativesare vital to changing negative attitudes, providingappropriate customized training and employmentservices, and building a work environment thattruly opens the door of opportunity to all people.Secretary Chao is working on the front lines tomove Americans with disabilities from spectatorsto participants in the world of work. She hasdirected each DOL agency to aggressivelyimplement the policies and programs outlined inthis brochure.

Department of Labor’s Office of

Disability Employment Policy: New

Freedom Initiative Announcements
7

Independence Through Employment

YMENT

organizations in providingcustomized employment servicesand opportunities to individualswith disabilities, and encouragetheir role in partnerships withother providers at the local level.ODEP will work in conjunctionwith DOL’s Center for Faith-Basedand Community Initiatives, theEmployment and TrainingAdministration (ETA), and theDepartment of Education’sRehabilitation Services Administration to develop technicalassistance and training to helpthese organizations to increase theircapacity, improve their knowledgeand use of best practices, and

ce-based

of person-directed

to personal

ng expertise

ystems, and

ces in states and

s are all elements

e opportunities.

tiative, ODEP will

mized Employ

tive which

o seven states in

onal states in FY

of Labor will work

pation of faith

unity-based
tes that (1)

oyment focus for

bilities in their

plementation

es, and (2)

ties coordinating

related supports

cal level.

 a consortia of

cy or service

al Workforce

s (Local Boards),

ct aggressive and

h to persons with

ities who are

ready left

are currently in

nments, and/or

 segregation.

ODEP, working within DOL andwith other Federal agencies, willdevelop and implement an actionplan to promote self-employmentand small business developmentamong people with disabilities,particularly those with the mostsignificant disabilities. Ten yearspost-passage of the Americans withDisabilities Act, entrepreneurshipprovides a key next step in the fullparticipation of individuals withdisabilities in America’scommunities. As part of this plan,ODEP will work with otherrelevant agencies, including theSmall Business Administration, theSocial Security Administration, theTreasury Department, and theDepartment of Education’s
p delivery system

ng programs and

re programmatic

lined, seamless

or people with

6 million to multi

 and training

eople with

skill-training

funded using

ment Act Title I,

 and targets

g multi-site

r employment

duals with

sult in long-term,

ployment.

Training and

ice (TEN) on the

d Work Incentives

. This TEN

kforce investment

mation on how to

troduction of the

ng how tickets

nd provides

early

implementation states on what todo when presented with a Ticket.ODEP, ETA, and the Office of theAssistant Secretary for Administration and Management’s(OASAM’s) Civil Rights Center(CRC), will conduct disabilityfocused reviews and evaluations ofimplementation of Section 188 ofWIA, the nondiscrimination andequal opportunity obligations.Under the leadership of the CRC,these evaluations will enable theDepartment of Labor to identifyfurther areas in which federaltraining and technical assistanceactivities are needed to eliminatebarriers and to prevent disabilitydiscrimination in the WIAprograms.The Assistant Secretary of ODEPwill participate as a member of theOffice of Management and Budget(OMB)-Led Federal PartnersWorking Group on the implementation of the Workforce InvestmentAct. The involvement of the ODEPwill help to ensure that the

9

Independence Through Employment 
h a comprehensive

public awareness

mpaign to

eliminate

s, and increase

ortunities for

with disabilities.

d campaign will

target business and industry,lenders, small businesses, families,and others. The campaign will alsofocus on making people withdisabilities aware of mainstreamemployment-related servicesavailable to them and providinghighly-visible role models.Successful entrepreneurs who havedisabilities will also be profiledthrough a variety of mainstreammedia outlets to increase awarenessabout the self-employmentpotential of people with disabilitiesETA and ODEP will releaseBuilding Employment Success forPersons with Disabilities UnderWelfare Reform. This technicalassistance guide will assist theworkforce investment system inbetter serving and working withindividuals who have hiddendisabilities (e.g., learningdisabilities, mental retardation,psychiatric disabilities, andaddictive disorders).The Pension and Welfare BenefitsAdministration (PWBA) will

TRUTH

THAT

YMENT

RYTHING

O WITH

CESSFUL

N THE

UNITY.”

bor Elaine L. Chao,

t on Employment 

on for People with

une 26, 2002
, such as asset

mits; the potential

elopment

er savings/asset

s; information

epreneurs and

wners with

deas for creating

 with public and

anizations.

orate with the

ndards

(ESA’s) Wage and

provide technical

loyers certified

EP will work with

the Wage and Hour Division atESA to distribute training andtechnical assistance materials —especially to employers certifiedunder Section 14(c) of the FairLabor Standards Act to paycommensurate wages — onsuccessful strategies for increasingcustomized employment andproductivity of workers withsignificant disabilities. The Wageand Hour Division will alsomonitor compliance with Section14(c) requirements by conductinginvestigation-based compliancesurveys of employers who holdSection 14(c) certificates.

11

Independence Through Employment

George H.W. Bush signing the Americans with Disabilities Act, July 26, 1990
cies, businesses,

n sector can work

ate employment

and adults with

ummit will

tunity to elevate

the issues related

 people with

ll as the role that

mmunity 

ressing barriers.

l provide the

oundation leaders

ives relating to

people with

xisting foundation

sure that such

essible to people

with other federal

ote the full inclu

with disabilities in

 services

al Workforce

s. ODEP will

nal DOL agencies,

f Veterans Affairs,

s Administration,

onnel

Management, and other relevantagencies, as well as stakeholders. ODEP will collaborate with theDepartment of Labor’s International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB),on a variety of mutually agreedupon efforts to help ensure thatthose international labor policies,programs, and projects over whichthe ILAB has administrativeauthority will take into account theemployment-related concerns ofpeople with disabilities. The ODEPwill serve as a technical assistanceresource to ILAB in areas such asinternational child labor, briefingsand tours for foreign labordelegations, immigration studies,and U.S. labor affairs representation at meetings and workgroupssponsored/hosted by theInternational Labor Organization(ILO), the Organization forEconomic Cooperation andDevelopment (OECD), theEmployment and Social AffairsDirectorate of the EuropeanCommission, and otherinternational organizations.
e work-based

nities for young

ilities. ODEP will

tion with the

sed and

atives to promote

es at the federal,

els for young

ilities. Moreover,

d the Workforce

ram, which

ips for young

ilities in the

ent, to a public

ip with large and

so that young

ilities get the

work experience they need to besuccessful in their adult lives. ODEP will expand the YouthTo-Work Grant Program in 2002.This program provides capacitybuilding to workforce investmentassisted youth programs and theHigh School/High Tech Programsto prepare more young people withdisabilities for employment andindependence by helping themearn a high school diploma,allowing more young people withdisabilities to participate invocational training or education,

13

Independence Through Employment

UTH

nding 

tunities 

Youth 

sabilities
DOL and the Department ofEducation. The purpose of thisMOU is the development of acoordinated, interagency initiativeto raise educational attainment and improve basic skills amongcurrent and future workers. Theinitiative is focused on improvingbasic skills in the current workforce through collaborationbetween the Workforce InvestmentSystem and literacy providers andon increas-ing Job Corps students’access to high school diplomas bypromoting joint activities betweenJob Corps Centers and publicschools. 

with other DOL

art-ment of

nd other

al departments on

ote the transition

with disabilities

st-secondary

/or employment.

de research and

cessful strategies

young adults with

ities into

ent the June 20,

m of

MOU) between

Disability Mentoring Day, October 24, 2001
 America's Job

or community

ns that help locate

s can be identified.

be located on the

ov website, our

 resource on the

tiative.

eau will hold a

onference calls on

d topics. The calls

1) increase the

nd women,

with disabilities,

n technology

and training

programs; and (2) increase thenumber of women who choose tostay in technology-related careersor who wish to advance in theirfields.The Women’s Bureau, incollaboration with ODEP, willdevelop an online communityresource guide. This guide, which will be available onDisAbilitydirect.gov, will provideconsumers and workforceprofessionals with a listing ofcommunity and faith-basedservices for women available intheir local communities. 

15

Independence Through Employment

OLOGY

cess 

ough 

nology
uality of personal

er direct care

 options for their

g, and career

rt collaboration

the Department

Urban Develop

 the Department

(DOT), to

s to encourage

using and

vices for people

within One-Stop

A lack of available,

ortation and

of the most often

mployment,

eople with disabilities. The incorporation of housing and transportation services such as hiring mobility managers, develop- ing individual transportation plans, conducting travel training, working cooperatively with transit and public housing authorities, creating transportation and housing information centers and inven- tories, and creating linkages with local housing and transit providers and advocacy organizations would make the One-Stop Centers more responsive to the employment support needs of people with disabilities. As part of this effort, on July 26 and July 27, 2002, DOL and the Department of Transporta- tion co-sponsored a two-day summit.

munity 

ing

UNITY
Independence Through Employment 

★
on, Please Contact:

ce of Disability Employment Policy

m S1303 

◆ Washington, D.C. 20210

7888 main fax 

◆ (202) 693-7881 main TTY

gov/odep

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