[Jobs] FW: EEOC Launches Website Section on "LEAD" Initiative
Rovig, Lorraine
LRovig at NFB.ORG
Tue Oct 17 06:58:39 CDT 2006
________________________________
From: LPovinelli at aol.com [mailto:LPovinelli at aol.com]
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2006 10:35 PM
Subject: EEOC Launches Website Section on "LEAD" Initiative
EEOC LAUNCHES WEBSITE SECTION ON "LEAD" INITIATIVE
Boosts Effort to Increase Number of Federal Employees with Targeted
Disabilities
WASHINGTON - Giving greater presence to a pressing - and largely unknown
- problem, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today
launched a website section on its LEAD Initiative, designed to address
the declining number of employees with severe disabilities in the
Federal workforce.
The section, on EEOC's website at
www.eeoc.gov/initiatives/lead/index.html
<http://www.eeoc.gov/initiatives/lead/index.html%20> , offers basic
information on the initiative and on the declining number of disabled
federal employees. As the effort progresses, announcements and updates
will appear regularly.
The Commission launched the LEAD (Leadership for the Employment of
Americans with Disabilities) Initiative in June under the leadership of
Commissioner Christine Griffin, a legal expert and long-time advocate
for disability issues.
"I commend Commissioner Griffin for her efforts to ensure that
individuals with disabilities are fully included in the federal
workforce," said EEOC Chair Naomi C. Earp. "EEOC's LEAD Initiative will
complement the Commission's outreach and enforcement efforts on behalf
of individuals with disabilities."
Commissioner Griffin noted, "In order to improve the overall employment
rate for people with targeted disabilities, we have to begin with the
federal government. Congress directed the federal government to set the
example for all other employers. Our example needs improvement. I fully
expect the LEAD initiative to significantly contribute to this
improvement. The LEAD website section will allow us to provide important
and useful information to a broad audience, so I look forward to it
having a positive impact."
LEAD aims, ultimately, to significantly increase the population of
individuals with disabilities employed by the federal government. This
national outreach and education campaign is designed to:
* increase the awareness of hiring officials about the declining
numbers of people with disabilities in federal employment
* reverse the trend of decreasing participation in federal
employment
* educate federal hiring officials about how to use special
hiring authorities to bring people with disabilities on board,
particularly those with severe disabilities
* educate applicants with severe disabilities about how to apply
using the special hiring authorities available
* provide information and resources on reasonable accommodation.
The LEAD Initiative draws on educational events and seminars and focus
group sessions with federal managers, hiring officials and other
interested parties to explore the issue of declining employment for
individuals with severe disabilities, and to come up with concrete
solutions to address the problem.
People with targeted disabilities have dropped to less than one percent
of the permanent federal workforce, continuing a long-term decline,
according to data released in June by the EEOC. Targeted disabilities
include blindness, deafness, partial paralysis, complete paralysis,
mental illness, mental retardation, convulsive disorders, and distortion
of limbs or spine.
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires that federal agencies take
proactive steps to provide equal employment opportunities for
individuals with disabilities. Moreover, under Executive Order 13164,
agencies are required to establish effective written procedures for
processing reasonable accommodation requests, which are submitted to the
EEOC for review.
Additionally, under the EEOC's Management Directive 715, agencies
annually report their efforts to implement a Model EEO Program; to
identify and eliminate barriers to equal opportunity in the workplace;
and to implement special program plans for the recruitment, hiring and
advancement of individuals with targeted disabilities.
The EEOC is also striving to advance employment opportunities for
individuals with disabilities through the President's New Freedom
Initiative and the agency's Freedom to Compete Initiative -- a national
outreach, education and coalition-building campaign launched in 2002 to
provide unfettered access to employment opportunities for all
individuals. The agency just launched the application process for its
third annual Freedom to Compete Awards
<http://www.eeoc.gov/initiatives/compete/award/index.html> , with
nominations due Dec. 13 for awards to be presented in June 2007.
The EEOC is responsible for enforcing the federal laws prohibiting
employment discrimination. Additional information about the agency is
available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov <http://%20www.eeoc.gov/> .
-------------- next part --------------
From:
LPovinelli at aol.com [mailto:LPovinelli at aol.com]
Sent:
Monday, October 16, 2006 10:35 PM
Subject:
EEOC Launches Website Section on "LEAD" Initiative
EEOC LAUNCHES WEBSITE SECTION ON “LEAD” INITIATIVE
Boosts Effort to Increase Number of Federal Employees with Targeted Disabilities
WASHINGTON – Giving greater presence to a pressing – and largely unknown – problem, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today launched a website section on its LEAD Initiative, designed to address the declining number of employees with severe disabilities in the Federal workforce.
The section, on EEOC’s website at http://www.eeoc.gov/initiatives/lead/index.html%20
www.eeoc.gov/initiatives/lead/index.html
, offers basic information on the initiative and on the declining number of disabled federal employees. As the effort progresses, announcements and updates will appear regularly.
The Commission launched the LEAD (Leadership for the Employment of Americans with Disabilities) Initiative in June under the leadership of Commissioner Christine Griffin, a legal expert and long-time advocate for disability issues.
“I commend Commissioner Griffin for her efforts to ensure that individuals with disabilities are fully included in the federal workforce,” said EEOC Chair Naomi C. Earp. “EEOC’s LEAD Initiative will complement the Commission’s outreach and enforcement efforts on behalf of individuals with disabilities.”
Commissioner Griffin noted, “In order to improve the overall employment rate for people with targeted disabilities, we have to begin with the federal government. Congress directed the federal government to set the example for all other employers. Our example needs improvement. I fully expect the LEAD initiative to significantly contribute to this improvement. The LEAD website section will allow us to provide important and useful information to a broad audience, so I look forward to it having a positive impact.”
LEAD aims, ultimately, to significantly increase the population of individuals with disabilities employed by the federal government. This national outreach and education campaign is designed to:
•
increase the awareness of hiring officials about the declining numbers of people with disabilities in federal employment
•
reverse the trend of decreasing participation in federal employment
•
educate federal hiring officials about how to use special hiring authorities to bring people with disabilities on board, particularly those with severe disabilities
•
educate applicants with severe disabilities about how to apply using the special hiring authorities available
•
provide information and resources on reasonable accommodation.
The LEAD Initiative draws on educational events and seminars and focus group sessions with federal managers, hiring officials and other interested parties to explore the issue of declining employment for individuals with severe disabilities, and to come up with concrete solutions to address the problem.
People with targeted disabilities have dropped to less than one percent of the permanent federal workforce, continuing a long-term decline, according to data released in June by the EEOC. Targeted disabilities include blindness, deafness, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, mental illness, mental retardation, convulsive disorders, and distortion of limbs or spine.
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires that federal agencies take proactive steps to provide equal employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Moreover, under Executive Order 13164, agencies are required to establish effective written procedures for processing reasonable accommodation requests, which are submitted to the EEOC for review.
Additionally, under the EEOC’s Management Directive 715, agencies annually report their efforts to implement a Model EEO Program; to identify and eliminate barriers to equal opportunity in the workplace; and to implement special program plans for the recruitment, hiring and advancement of individuals with targeted disabilities.
The EEOC is also striving to advance employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities through the President’s New Freedom Initiative and the agency’s Freedom to Compete Initiative -- a national outreach, education and coalition-building campaign launched in 2002 to provide unfettered access to employment opportunities for all individuals. The agency just launched the application process for its third annual http://www.eeoc.gov/initiatives/compete/award/index.html
Freedom to Compete Awards
, with nominations due Dec. 13 for awards to be presented in June 2007.
The EEOC is responsible for enforcing the federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Additional information about the agency is available on its web site at http://%20www.eeoc.gov/
www.eeoc.gov
.
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