May 8, 2012

US Labor Departments Office of Disability Employment Policy announces 2012 theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy today announced the official theme for October's National Disability Employment Awareness Month: "A Strong Workforce is an Inclusive Workforce: What Can YOU Do?" The theme promotes the benefits of a diverse workforce that includes workers with disabilities, who represent a highly skilled talent pool.

May 7, 2012

US Labor Departments Office of Disability Employment Policy signs alliance agreement with National Organization of Nurses with Disabilities

Agreement supports increased hiring of individuals with disabilities in health care industry

WASHINGTON — Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathleen Martinez and National Organization of Nurses with Disabilities President Beth Marks have signed an alliance agreement during National Nurses Week to promote the employment of individuals with disabilities in the health care industry.

April 26, 2012

US Department of Labors Office of Disability Employment Policy signs alliance agreement with National Industry Liaison Group

WASHINGTON — Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathleen Martinez and National Industry Liaison Group Chair Valerie J. Vickers have signed an alliance agreement to promote the hiring of individuals with disabilities by the federal contractor community.

February 9, 2012

US Labor Departments Office of Disability Employment Policy releases comprehensive soft skills curriculum for young workers

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy today announced the release of "Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success," a collection of career development exercises and activities designed to help sharpen the communication and other "soft" skills of young workers, including those with disabilities.

January 6, 2012

US Labor Departments Office of Disability Employment Policy and US Customs and Border Protection sign alliance agreement

Partnership supports executive order on increasing federal hiring of individuals with disabilities

WASHINGTON — Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathleen Martinez and U.S. Customs and Border Protection acting Commissioner David V. Aguilar today signed an alliance agreement to advance President Obama's executive order to increase the hiring of people with disabilities by federal agencies.

December 14, 2011

US Department of Labor and congressional, community leaders reflect on Office of Disability Employment Policys 10-year anniversary

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and Deputy Secretary of Labor Seth D. Harris today commemorated the Office of Disability Employment Policy's 10th anniversary by celebrating the positive impact of its policies and program initiatives with major leaders in the community. Featured speakers included Sen. Tom Harkin (Iowa); Rep. Steny Hoyer (Maryland); Kareem Dale, special assistant to the president for disability policy; Kathleen Martinez, assistant secretary of labor for ODEP and past assistant secretaries for the office.

September 30, 2011

Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis announces $2.2 million through Add Us In initiative to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced four two-year cooperative agreements totaling $2,165,998 to consortia led by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois in Chicago, the National Organization on Disability in New York City, TransCen Inc. in Rockville, Md., and the World Institute on Disability in Oakland, Calif. These awards represent the second round of funding provided through the "Add Us In" initiative of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy.

September 28, 2011

US Labor Department announces $3.8 million in continued funding to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy today announced a total of $3,787,000 in continued funding for organizations managing consortia that develop models, provide technical assistance and share best practices to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

August 4, 2011

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announces $1.6 million in funding for the 'Add Us In' initiative

WASHINGTON — Today at the National Disability Forum in Washington, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced the availability of approximately $1.6 million in funding for the Add Us In initiative, which will fund up to three cooperative agreements with allotments ranging from $500,000 to $550,000 each.

July 14, 2011

US Labor Department assistant secretary testifies before Senate HELP committee on improving employment opportunities for people with disabilities

WASHINGTON — Kathy Martinez, assistant secretary of labor for the Office of Disability Employment Policy, today testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions to discuss the U.S. Department of Labor's public and private partnership initiatives designed to connect people with disabilities and employment opportunities.

July 12, 2011

Meet at Disability.gov for July 14 virtual town hall with White House officials

Top advisors on disability issues to answer questions submitted electronically by the public

WASHINGTON — Members of the White House Domestic Policy Council, Office of Public Engagement and Office of Presidential Personnel will participate in a virtual town hall meeting hosted by Disability.gov, the federal government's website for disability-related information, on Thursday, July 14, from 1-2 p.m. EDT. The event will be streamed live on the site's home page.

April 28, 2011

US Labor Departments Office of Disability Employment Policy announces 2011 theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy today announced the official theme for October's National Disability Employment Awareness Month: "Profit by Investing in Workers with Disabilities." The theme honors the contributions of workers with disabilities and serves to inform the public that they represent a highly skilled talent pool that can help employers compete in today's global economy.

March 31, 2011

US Labor Departments Office of Disability Employment Policy and Partnership for Public Service join forces to increase federal hiring of people with disabilities

WASHINGTON — Kathleen Martinez, assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, andMax Stier, president and chief executive officer of the Partnership for Public Service, today signed an alliance agreement to advance President Obama's executive order to increase federal hiring of people with disabilities.

March 7, 2011

US Department of Labor makes available Web-based toolkit for federal agencies to increase employment of people with disabilities

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy today posted an online toolkit comprised of resources to assist federal agencies in recruiting, employing and retaining individuals with disabilities. The kit is available at http://www.dol.gov/odep/federal-hire.

December 8, 2010

US Labor Departments Office of Disability Employment Policy announces new outreach tools from Campaign for Disability Employment

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy today announced a series of new products through the Campaign for Disability Employment that are designed to promote the hiring, retention and advancement of people with disabilities, and dispel negative stereotypes about disability and employment.

December 7, 2010

Employers gain access to database to recruit workers with disabilities

Resource made available by US Labor Department

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense, today made available the 2011 Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities database. This resource is intended to assist federal and private-sector employers in identifying workers with disabilities.

October 1, 2010

Statement by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2010

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on the president's proclamation of October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2010. The theme for this year is "Talent Has No Boundaries: Workforce Diversity Includes People with Disabilities."

September 30, 2010

US Department of Labors Add Us In initiative provides more than $2.4 million to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities

WASHINGTON — As part of its "Add Us In" initiative, the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy awarded four two-year cooperative agreements totaling more than $2.4 million to consortia led by the University of Missouri-Kansas City in Kansas City, Mo.; Community Partners-Integrated Recovery Network in Los Angeles, Calif.; The Workplace Inc. in Bridgeport, Conn.; and the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla.

September 29, 2010

US Labor Departments Office of Disability Employment Policy announces $1.6 million in continued funding for National Employer Technical Assistance Center

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy today announced the continuation of funding for a National Technical Assistance, Policy and Research Center for Employers on Employment of People with Disabilities at Cornell University. Continued funding in the amount of $1.6 million was awarded by exercising the first option year of a cooperative agreement between ODEP and Cornell University that provides for the center's operation. The center is also referred to as the National Employer Technical Assistance Center.

September 13, 2010

US Labor Departments Office of Disability Employment Policy announces continued funding for the Adult National Technical Assistance and Research Center

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy today announced that it will exercise the second option year of its cooperative agreement with the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University and award an additional $1,150,000 to continue funding the National Technical Assistance and Research Center for Increasing the Employment and Economic Independence of Adults with Disabilities.