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Initiatives and Accomplishments
Add Us In (2010-continuing)
ODEP launches the Add Us In initiative, awarding grants to four consortia to identify and develop strategies to increase employment opportunities among small businesses, including those owned and operated by diverse individuals.
Affirmative Action Strategies for Federal Contractors
ODEP collaborates with DOL's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) to assess affirmative action policies applicable to people with disabilities and disabled veterans and make recommendations for changes to OFCCP regulations, namely Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act.
"A New Day: We're Listening"
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathleen Martinez, in collaboration with leaders from other federal agencies, conducts "A New Day: We're Listening," a series of stakeholder feedback sessions in six cities to gather information about key issues and best practices regarding disability employment.
Disability Employment Initiative (DEI) (2010-continuing)
ODEP and ETA jointly fund and administer DEI cooperative agreements to nine states to become Employment Networks and improve education, training and employment opportunities and outcomes of youth and adults who are unemployed and/or receiving Social Security disability benefits.
"Disability Implications of an Aging Workforce: Developing an Action Strategy"
ODEP's National Technical Assistance and Research Center to Promote Leadership for Increasing the Employment and Economic Independence of Adults with Disabilities (NTAR Leadership Center) convenes 50 experts from across the nation for a roundtable titled Disability Implications of an Aging Workforce: Developing an Action Strategy.
Disability Nondiscrimination Law Advisor
ODEP launches the Disability Nondiscrimination Law Advisor, an interactive, online system that helps employers quickly and simply determine which federal nondiscrimination laws apply to their business or organization and their responsibilities under them.
Executive Order 13548
President Barack Obama marks the 20th anniversary of the ADA by issuing Executive Order 13548, Increasing Federal Employment of Individuals with Disabilities, and charges ODEP with assisting the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in implementing it. Outcomes include a Federal Hiring Toolkit, Federal Mentoring Primer and online Community of Practice for Federal Hiring Managers.
"I Can" Public Service Announcement (PSA)Distribution
The Campaign for Disability Employment's "I Can" PSA, a montage of seven people with disabilities sharing what they "can do" when given the opportunity, is distributed to television and radio stations nationwide, and a suite of complementary materials are produced. A Spanish-language version of the PSA, "Yo Puedo," is also produced and distributed to Spanish-language media.
Induction of Justin Dart and Helen Keller into Labor Hall of Fame
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the ADA in July 2010, ODEP champions the inclusion of disability rights activists Justin Dart and Helen Keller in the Labor Hall of Fame.
Lights! Camera! Access!
ODEP holds Lights! Camera! Access!, which brings together representatives from the entertainment and disability advocacy communities to discuss strategies for improving representation, in both numbers and accurate portrayal, of people with disabilities in the arts and media.
"Now is the Time!" Federal Hiring Event for People with Disabilities
ODEP, in coordination with OPM, cosponsors Now is the Time, a first-of-a-kind hiring event for people with disabilities interested in federal employment. Thirty-five agencies are represented, and more than 5,000 people submit resumes to apply to attend.
Project SEARCH
DOL, through ODEP, pilots the first federal model of Project SEARCH, a combined education and work experience program for students with disabilities in their last year of high school.
Return-to-Work Policy Partnership
ODEP collaborates with DOL's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) to conduct a study to document barriers and identify strategies that federal agencies may utilize to increase the successful return-to-work of employees who have sustained disabilities as a result of workplace injuries or illnesses.
Roundtable Dialogue on the Future of Accessible Workplace Technology
As part of its Accessible Technology in the Workplace Initiative, ODEP convenes a Roundtable Dialogue on the Future of Accessible Workplace Technology, at which more than 60 thought leaders from government, private industry, academia and non-governmental organizations explore strategies and practices necessary to advance the creation and adoption of accessible workplace technologies.
Self-Employment Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL)
A TEGL is issued by ETA and ODEP to encourage states to establish parameters for funding entrepreneurial and self-employment training under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998.
START-UP USA Close-out Report
START-UP/USA, the national technical assistance aspect of ODEP's Self-Employment Technical Assistance, Resources & Training (START-UP) initiative, submits the final report for the self-employment initiative outlining policy recommendations to further enhance the opportunities for people with disabilities to become self-employed.
Transportation to Work Toolkit for the Business Community
Through a cooperative agreement with the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA), ODEP funds the creation of the Transportation to Work Toolkit for the Business Community, an online resource for businesses on how to implement workplace transportation programs that benefit employers and employees while also opening doors to employment for a wider segment of people, including those with disabilities.
U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN) Alliance Renewal
ODEP and USBLN renew their Alliance established in 2008.
Women's Bureau Collaboration
ODEP and DOL's Women's Bureau sign a Memorandum of Understanding to encourage and assist employers to expand and promote the use of flexible workplace strategies, including those focused on job tasks for people with complex employment situations.
Women and Trauma Roundtable
ODEP assists in convening a roundtable of stakeholders from federal, nonprofit and tribal communities to initiate a dialogue on the behavioral impacts of trauma affecting women and girls, identify gaps in addressing them, and develop recommendations for an agenda for comprehensive systems change, integration and collaboration.