News Archive
San Diego's Channel 10 aired a story on David Deaton, one
of the Talent Knows No Limits role models hired by Rincon Harrah's
through connection with the Disability
Program Navigator at Arbor Career
Center, San Diego Workforce
Partnership. Check out this link to watch the video!
Disability Employment News
disABLEDperson.com
Links to current articles on disability employment.
9/09
White House Announces Disability Employment Awareness Month
Read proclamation
7/24/09
President Obama signs proclamation naming July 26,2009 the 19th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
Read proclamation (12 kb PDF)
6/22/2009
President Obama Commemorates Anniversary of Olmstead and Announces New Initiatives to Assist Americans with Disabilities
Read press release.
9/25/2008
President Signs ADA Amendments Act
High Praise for Bipartisan Legislation Reviving ADA Protections
The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
9/23/2008
Disability definition expanding to cover medical conditions
LOS ANGELES TIMES
News
Contest to Commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
July 13, 2010
The National Disability Institute (NDI) has launched a nationwide video contest encouraging persons with disabilities and their families to capture their American Dream and how they are working to achieve it on video. One grand prize winner of the Defining the New American Dream video contest will receive $1,000 and a trip to Washington, DC. Entries must be received by August 13, 2010. More...
V.A. Is Easing Rules to Cover Stress Disorder
July 7, 2010
The government is preparing to issue new rules that will make it substantially easier for veterans who have been found to have post-traumatic stress disorder to receive disability benefits, a change that could affect hundreds of thousands of veterans from the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam. Read more...
Gov't Holds 1st Job Fair for Disabled Workers
WASHINGTON - During the past decade, the number of disabled federal workers has gotten smaller and smaller. So Monday, the federal government hosted its first ever job fair for individuals with disabilities.
The event was a direct response to an executive order from President Obama. The Department of Labor and Office of Personnel Management put out the word months ago about the fair and thousands of applications later, they invited 500 individuals to the District for interviews Monday.
Employers were blown away by their potential.
Third Circuit says accommodation may include shift change that assists with commute to work
April 27, 2010
In an unusual case of first impression, the 3d U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has held that under certain circumstances, the ADA may obligate an employer to accommodate an employee’s disability-related difficulties in getting to work. In that case, the Court reversed summary judgment in favor of an employer and held that changing a part-time employee’s schedule to day shift – because her monocular vision made it dangerous for her to drive at night – could be a reasonable accommodation under the ADA. Colwell v. Rite Aid Corporation, 3d Circ., No. 08-4675, April 8, 2010.
Walgreens Recognized as Private-Sector Employer of the Year for People with Disabilities
DEERFIELD, Ill., Apr 15, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE)
Walgreens has received recognition as "Private-Sector Employer of the Year" by CAREERS & the disABLED magazine for its commitment to recruiting, hiring and promoting people with disabilities. The company was also selected as one of the top five employers readers would most like to work for or believe is progressive in its hiring practices. Walgreens will be honored by the magazine this May in Boston.
"At every level, we do all we can to emphasize people's abilities and strengths," said Walgreens senior vice president of supply chain and logistics Randy Lewis, who leads of the company's disability employment initiative at its distribution centers (DCs). "We've been able to successfully make a meaningful impact on the lives of all who touch this initiative from team members and parents to managers and executives. We've done this while meeting our business objectives and doing what's right for the company."
Ten Employment Myths
A new video from the US Department of Justice responds to concerns expressed by employers.Ten Employment Myths: Information about the Americans with Disabilities Act uses a question-and-answer format to express common misconceptions, fears and false assumptions that many employers have about employees with disabilities. The video refutes these unfounded myths, explains the ADA in common sense terms and highlights the advantages of hiring qualified persons with disabilities. New March 10, 2010.
February 2010 Disability Employment Statistics Released
In February 2010, the percentage of people with disabilities in the labor force was 21.9. This translates into a total of 21,012,000 who are included in the civilian noninstitutional population (16 years and older) but not in the labor force. By comparison, the percentage of persons with no disability in the labor force is 70.1.
The unemployment rate for those with disabilities was 13.8 percent, compared with 10.3 percent for persons with no disability, not seasonally adjusted.
Read about the February Disability Employment Statistics
Social Security Adds 38 New Compassionate Allowance Conditions
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Social Security Administration Press Release
Expansion Will Speed Benefits to Thousands of Americans with Disabilities
Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, today announced that the agency is adding 38 more conditions to its list of Compassionate Allowances. This is the first expansion since the original list of 50 conditions - 25 rare diseases and 25 cancers - was announced in October 2008. The new conditions range from adult brain disorders to rare diseases that primarily affect children.
“The addition of these new conditions expands the scope of Compassionate Allowances to a broader subgroup of conditions like early-onset Alzheimer’s disease,” Commissioner Astrue said. “The expansion we are announcing today means tens of thousands of Americans with devastating disabilities will now get approved for benefits in a matter of days rather than months and years.”
Compassionate Allowances are a way of quickly identifying diseases and other medical conditions that clearly qualify for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability benefits. It allows the agency to electronically target and make speedy decisions for the most obviously disabled individuals.
For more information about the agency’s Compassionate Allowances initiative, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances.
The 19th Annual Youth Leadership Forum for Students with Disabilities
It's an exciting five-day leadership program that provides information on everything from technology to resource agencies, and helps you create a “Personal Leadership Plan” to help you reach your future education and career goals.
Coming July 24-29, 2010 at California State University Sacramento.
Register today! www.calylf.org Registration ends February 17.