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Last year President Obama announced several initiatives to increase the employment of people with disabilities in the federal workforce. In support of this goal, on April 26, 2010 the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Disability Employment Policy, along with many other federal agencies, will host a day-long, invitation only Federal Hiring Event for People with Disabilities in Washington, DC. Representatives from federal agencies will be reviewing resumes prior to this event, and inviting prospective job candidates for interviews.
The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Program offer free tax help for taxpayers who qualify. Through these programs trained community volunteers help with special credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled. In addition to free tax return preparation assistance, most TCE locations also offer free electronic filing (e-filing). To locate the nearest VITA site, call 1-800-829-1040.
The California Department of Industrial Relations and the California Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation (CHSWC) will host the fifth IFDM: Collaborating for Success on September 20-22, 2010, in Los Angeles, CA. The conference will focus on discussions about how disability management can reduce and minimize the impact of occupational injury and illness. For updates on the conference, sign up here.
Applications for the Fellowship at National Industries for the Blind are now being accepted. The Fellowship for Leadership Development, sponsored by National Industries for the Blind (NIB), is a salaried, two-year program that combines business-focused, on-the-job experience with formal management training. Legally blind individuals who have an undergraduate degree, work experience and passion for business are invited to apply. Read the Frequently Asked Questions document for more information. Application deadline is April 15, 2010.
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the results of its Tools for America's Job Seekers Challenge. Recommendations have been tallied, and the top-rated sites in categories including general job boards, niche tools, career tools, career exploration tools and Web 2.0 (social networking) are now available.
The National Council on Disability (NCD) has released a report entitled Workforce Infrastructure in Support of People with Disabilities: Matching Human Resources to Service Needs, calling for policymakers at all levels of government to proactively address current shortages and examine how labor market changes are driving both current and future supply. The report presents recommendations that call for partnerships among federal departments and agencies, their state counterparts, and the private sector, including organizations involved with education and training, health care and employment services. The complete report can be downloaded in Word or PDF formats.
This U.S. Department of Agriculture's TARGET Center Discovery Series Webcast provides information about employing people with disabilities. Learn about the technology, organizations, hiring authorities and best practices that enable the employment and advancement of people with disabilities, one of the biggest untapped resources in today's public and private workplaces.
From January through March the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and its federal partners will hold a series of six Listening Sessions in DOL regions across the country. These sessions will provide an opportunity for members of the public to provide input to senior federal officials on their ideas for more effective ways to employ women, Veterans and minorities with disabilities, and what is currently working in their communities to increase employment among people with disabilities. Register online to find the location of a session in your region. Learn more about ODEP's mission and vision.
Christine M. Griffin has been confirmed and appointed to be Deputy Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). As Deputy Director she will play a key role in shaping and managing the Federal government's 1.9 million employees. Ms. Griffin has been a strong advocate for women's rights and the rights of individuals with disabilities. In 2006, Ms. Griffin launched the LEAD Initiative - Leadership for the Employment of Americans with Disabilities - to address the significant under-employment of individuals with severe disabilities in the Federal government.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) has launched ePolicyWorks - a collaborative, Web-based information-sharing initiative among national policymakers and stakeholders to address barriers to employment faced by people with disabilities. Federal agencies and national policymakers will work together to ensure that Americans with disabilities have equal access to employment and employment-related supports such as health care, education, transportation, housing and technology.
President Obama has announced that his Administration is taking several steps to ensure that there is fair and equal access to employment for all Americans, particularly the 54 million people in this country living with disabilities. These actions include collaboration between the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) to sponsor a day long Federal Government-wide job fair for people with disabilities.
Employers that have a demonstrated commitment to hiring people with disabilities are encouraged to consider becoming Employer Partners of the Ticket to Work Program. Being an Employer Partner allows companies to gain exposure to thousands of Americans with disabilities with a link to their career or job posting websites.
To celebrate the launch of the What Can YOU Do? outreach effort, the Campaign for Disability Employment asked aspiring filmmakers to produce their own 60-second video in support of this effort. Watch these award-winning videos that illustrate positive images of people with disabilities at work and help viewers re-think their assumptions about people with disabilities and employment.
The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) will be holding three 1.5 hour Webcast sessions beginning the first week of December 2009. This series will cover the hiring and employment of people with disabilities in the federal government and the reasonable accommodation process. Online registration is now open. For more information on hiring people with disabilities read about the EEOC's LEAD Initiative.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is hosting a series of free community events around the country for beneficiaries with disabilities and their families. These Work Incentive Seminar Events (WISE) are held by local organizations and can help people receiving Social Security disability benefits (SSDI or SSI) learn more about the Ticket to Work Program, connect with local training and employment resources, and explore opportunities to increase income. For more resources in your state go to Disability.gov's homepage and select your state from the drop-down menu under "Information by State."
This conference is organized into three thematic areas--Foundation, Exploration and Innovation, and will address many issue areas including employment, hidden disabilities, transition to post-secondary education, disability rights, assistive technology and more. The conference will be held April 12-13, 2010 in Honolulu, HI and online registration is available.
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