For more information on any of these articles, go to www.dol.gov/odep.
Stepping Up to the Plate — Assistant Secretary Martinez’s Blog on Sports and Employment
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathy Martinez posted a blog on the relationship between extracurricular activities — including sports — and employment for people with disabilities. Citing statistics from Special Olympics and Disabled Sports USA, and examples of successful Major League Baseball players with disabilities, she reflected on the power of sports to change societal attitudes and impact individual lives.
OPM Issues Report on 2012 Employment of People with Disabilities in the Federal Executive Branch
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has issued the 2012 Employment of People with Disabilities in the Federal Executive Branch report. “The report has some very exciting news,” said OPM Director Katherine Archuleta. “At no point in the past 32 years have people with disabilities been hired at a higher percentage than in FY 2012. People with targeted disabilities are also being hired at a higher percentage now than at any time in the past 17 years. This success has led to more people with disabilities in Federal service both in real terms and by percentage than at any time in the past 32 years.”
Moving Toward Compliance: OFCCP Training Webinars on Section 503 and VEVRAA
The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has announced its schedule for a series of webinars to educate federal contractors and subcontractors on the requirements of the new regulations for the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. The webinar sessions will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EST. The webinars support federal contractor compliance with the new Section 503 and VEVRAA, and will focus on data collection, affirmative action program development, and outreach and recruitment requirements under the new regulations.
Individualized Learning Plan “Kick Start Your ILP” Toolkit Released
A new toolkit aimed at high school students and called “Kick Start Your ILP” has been released by the Office of Disability Employment Policy. An individualized learning plan (ILP) is both a document and a process that students, including students with disabilities, use to define and explore their career goals and post-secondary plans throughout high school in order to shape their decisions about courses and activities. “Kick Start Your ILP” includes an explanation of ILPs, a year by year checklist of steps to follow, and tips to pull it all together.
Helping Youth Develop the “Skills to Pay the Bills”
In a post published this week on Disability.blog, the official blog of Disability.gov, ODEP policy advisor Maria Town discussed the important role early work experiences play in helping individuals develop the “soft” skills necessary for workplace success. She also shared information about ODEP’s “Skills to Pay the Bills” curriculum and video series, which can be used by educators and youth development professionals to help teach workforce readiness to youth, including youth with disabilities.
Mayberry Meets the ADA — Confidentiality and Coworkers
In a blog post addressing the issue of confidentiality in the workplace related to the ADA, Linda Carter Batiste, J.D., Principal Consultant with the Job Accommodation Network, provided insight into ways to handle situations involving coworkers’ questions about accommodations that an employee is receiving. “The workplace can be like a small town — everyone seems to know everyone else’s business,” she noted. “But there are things that employees may wish to keep confidential and, in some cases, employers have a legal duty to comply with those wishes.” The blog appeared on Disability.blog, the official blog of Disability.gov.