March 30, 2004

Labor Department Offers Employers Database of
Qualified College Students with Disabilities Who Seek Summer and Permanent Jobs

WASHINGTON—A free database that identifies almost 1,600 qualified college students and recent graduates with disabilities who seek summer and permanent job openings is being made available to government and private sector employers.

March 11, 2004

Department of Labor Policies Reducing Barriers to
Employment for People with Disabilities, Deputy Secretary Steven J. Law Says

WASHINGTON—Deputy Labor Secretary Steven J. Law said today that the Labor Department’s programs and policies are helping to reduce barriers to employment for those with disabilities.

December 11, 2003

Department of Labor and Small Business
Administration Partner to Support People With Disabilities

WASHINGTON—Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao and Small Business Administration Administrator Hector V. Barreto today signed a Strategic Alliance Memorandum (SAM) designed to help people with disabilities pursue small business ownership and to also increase their employment opportunities in small businesses.

December 2, 2003

Labor Secretary Chao Keynotes Seminar on
Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities in the Federal Government

WASHINGTON—Today U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao delivered the keynote address at the two-day Labor Department event entitled “Emergency Preparedness For People With Disabilities: An Interagency Seminar Of Exchange For Federal Managers.”

December 1, 2003

DOL Assistant Secretary Grizzard Addresses
Enhanced Transportation Services for People With Disabilities at "United We
Ride" News Conference

WASHINGTON—Noting “inadequate transportation can inhibit employment for all people, but is an even greater barrier to people with disabilities,” Dr. Roy Grizzard, Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) said today, “Government at all levels is working to coordinate transportation policies and programs for those people with disabilities who need it the most.”

October 27, 2003

Website For People With
Disability--DisabilityInfo.Gov--Celebrates First Year of Operation with More
Than 1.6 Million Visitors

WASHINGTON—Calling it “Yet another example of President George Bush’s deep commitment to making government easily accessible to all Americans,” Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao hailed the one-year anniversary of DisabilityInfo.Gov, a comprehensive Federal web site, managed by the Labor Department, with one-stop access to governmental disability information.

October 16, 2003

10 Honorees Receive Secretary of Labor Elaine L.
Chao's New Freedom Initiative Award: Award Recognizes Achievements on Behalf of
People with Disabilities

Award Recognizes Achievements on Behalf of People with Disabilities

WASHINGTON—Five businesses, four organizations, and one individual today received the Secretary of Labor’s annual New Freedom Initiative (NFI) Awards. The NFI Award recognizes exemplary and innovative public-private partnership efforts in furthering the employment objectives of the President’s New Freedom Initiative. The recipients were honored in a luncheon ceremony at the Labor Department.

October 15, 2003

Assistant Secretary Roy Grizzard Kicks-Off 5th
Annual Disability Mentoring Day at U.S. Labor Department

WASHINGTON—Dr. Roy Grizzard, Assistant Secretary of the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), was the keynote speaker at a U.S. Labor Department ceremony kicking off the 5th annual celebration of Disability Mentoring Day.

Disability Mentoring Day comes during National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao selected “America Works Best When All Americans Work” as the official theme for October to continue to focus on solutions that ensure the full inclusion of persons with disabilities into the 21st Century workforce.

August 25, 2003

Service Agencies in Five States Selected by U.S.
Labor Department for People with Disabilities Training/Technical Assistance
Program

WASHINGTON—Human service agencies in Rhode Island, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, and Washington will take part in a training and technical assistance program for people with disabilities, U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced today.

July 25, 2003

Statement of Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao on
the 13th Anniversary of the Signing of the Americans With Disabilities Act,
July 26, 2003

“Tomorrow we celebrate the 13th anniversary of the signing of the Americans With Disabilities Act, a landmark legislation of compassion and empowerment. The ADA has been a major civil rights legislation for the disabled community. Since its passage, it has been a powerful force in removing barriers to people with disabilities by increasing their opportunities in education, home ownership, transportation, and employment.

July 25, 2003

U.S. Department of Labor Issues WIA Compliance
Assistance Checklist to Help People with Disabilities

WASHINGTON—U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L Chao today issued a compliance assistance “Checklist” designed to ensure nondiscrimination against and equal opportunity for persons with disabilities under Section 188 of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). The checklist was sent to all WIA program operators who receive government financial assistance.

July 21, 2003

October 15, 2003 Designated as National
Disability Mentoring Day by Labor Secretary Chao

WASHINGTON—Oct. 15, 2003 has been designated as National Disability Mentoring Day, Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao announced today.

Begun in 1999, National Disability Mentoring Day promotes career development for students and job seekers with disabilities through one-on-one job shadowing, group visits to public and private employers, and hands-on career exploration. It is held in October in conjunction with National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

July 18, 2003

DOL, HUD Offer up to $13.5 Million in Grants to
End Chronic Homelessness through Employment and Housing

WASHINGTON—The Departments of Labor (DOL) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today they were jointly making up to $13.5 million available to help fulfill the Administration’s goal of ending chronic homelessness among persons with disabilities.

June 16, 2003

Department of Labor Announces Grant Solicitations
Totaling $3.4 million for Transitioning and Mentoring Youth with Disabilities

WASHINGTON—Two solicitations to help mentor and successfully transition youth with disabilities to work were published in the June 16, 2003 Federal Register by the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao announced today.

June 9, 2003

Department of Labor's DisabilityInfo.gov Records
More Than One Million Visitors and Over 20 Million "Hits" From 136 Countries

WASHINGTON—DisabilityInfo.gov, a comprehensive federal Web site with one-stop access to governmental disability information, has gone over the one-million visitor mark and achieved more than 20 million “hits,” Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced today.

“DisabilityInfo.gov provides Americans with disabilities a direct and easy connection to information and resources they need to become full participants in the 21st Century workforce,” Secretary Chao said.

June 6, 2003

Department of Labor Announces Grant Solicitations
Totaling $4.3 Million for Customized Grants, High School/High Tech

WASHINGTON—Two solicitations for Customized Grants and High School/High Tech (HS/HT) Development and Implementation Grants were published in the June 6, 2003 Federal Register by the Office of Disability Employment Policy, Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao announced today.

May 29, 2003

Department of Labor Announces Grant Solicitations
Totaling $3.0 Million for Home Modification, WorkFORCE Action

WASHINGTON—Two grant solicitations were published in the May 29, 2003 Federal Register by the Office of Disability Employment Policy, Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao announced today.

May 27, 2003

More Than 260 Qualified, Disabled Students Placed
in Jobs in First Month of Labor Department WRP Program

WASHINGTON—More than 260 college students and recent graduates with disabilities have been placed in summer and permanent jobs since the Labor Department’s Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) was announced in April, U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao said today.

May 12, 2003

U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao Selects
"America Works Best When All Americans Work" As October's National Disability
Employment Awareness Month Theme

WASHINGTON—Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao has selected “America Works Best When All Americans Work” as the official theme for October’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

“The theme, America Works Best When All Americans Work, emphasizes the Bush Administration’s position of economic opportunity through job creation,” said Chao. “It also builds upon the accomplishments of the President’s New Freedom Initiative which has created opportunities for persons with disabilities to be fully integrated into the 21st Century workforce.”

May 1, 2003

Labor Department Hosts UK-US Seminar Seeking
Exchange of Ideas on Improving Employment Opportunities for People With
Disabilit

WASHINGTON—Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today urged an international audience of disability experts to “continue to bring focus and awareness to solutions that insure the full inclusion of persons with disabilities into the 21st century workforce.”