US Labor Department helps employers understand responsibilities under disability nondiscrimination laws

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today unveiled a new tool to help America's employers ensure their employment policies and practices do not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities.

"Today, we made it easier for employers of all sizes to access the talents of the 36 million Americans with disabilities," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathleen Martinez. "By providing this interactive and easy-to-use online tool, both workers and employers can readily access and understand their rights and responsibilities under our federal disability nondiscrimination laws."

The online Disability Nondiscrimination Law Advisor, available at http://www.dol.gov/elaws/odep.htm, helps employers quickly and simply determine which federal disability nondiscrimination laws apply to their business or organization and their responsibilities under them. It asks users to answer a few relevant questions in order to take into account relevant variables, such as nature of organization, size of staff and whether the business or organization receives federal financial assistance. Based on the responses provided, the advisor then generates a customized list of federal disability nondiscrimination laws that likely apply, along with easy-to-understand information about employers' responsibilities under them.

The laws addressed by the Disability Nondiscrimination Law Advisor include:

• Titles I and II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
• Section 188 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (as it pertains to federal financial assistance)
• Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended
• The Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended

The advisor also can help employees, job applicants and people applying for or participating in federally funded programs learn more about their rights under these laws. In addition, it includes a Guide on Employing People with Disabilities that outlines resources available to help employers comply with disability nondiscrimination laws.

The Disability Nondiscrimination Law Advisor is one of a series of Employment Laws Assistance for Workers and Small Businesses, or "elaws," Advisors developed by the Labor Department's Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, working with other department agencies, to help employers and employees understand federal employment laws. To access this set of advisors, visit the elaws website at http://www.dol.gov/elaws/. To learn more about the Labor Department's efforts to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities, visit http://www.dol.gov/odep.

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