Press Releases
United Cerebral Palsy Commends EEOC Initiative to Curtail Decline in Federal Disabled Workforce (10/12/2006)
Washington, DC, October 12, 2006 - Federal employment opportunities for individuals with severe disabilities have steadily declined over the years, a trend that worries disability advocates. However, a new initiative by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) provides a fresh avenue of hope for the severely disabled workforce.
Launched in October to coincide with National Disability Employment Awareness Month, LEAD - Leadership for the Employment of Americans With Disabilities - is the new EEOC program aimed at increasing awareness among federal hiring officials about the decrease in employment of disabled individuals.
Disability rights advocates know only too well that the federal government’s push to increase the number of disabled employees on its payroll has dramatically declined. In the United States, 70 percent of people with severe disabilities are unemployed and according to a recent EEOC report, people with severe disabilities currently comprise less than one percent of the full-time federal workforce.
Along with awareness training, LEAD will educate hiring officers about the special rules that exist to help recruit disabled employees and help educate job applicants with severe disabilities on how to apply under these special rules. The initiative will use educational seminars, events and focus groups to establish concrete solutions to address the drop in employment of the severely disabled.
While transforming the federal workforce is significant, there are some supporters that envision LEAD serving as a catalyst for change by encouraging the private sector to develop a similar program, which would lead to even more new and exciting job opportunities for people with disabilities.
“The LEAD project will help federal hiring officers recognize the often untapped potential of people with disabilities. UCP praises the EEOC for its proactive approach and its encouragement of individuals with disabilities to live a life without limits,” said Stephen Bennett, President and CEO of United Cerebral Palsy.
For more information about LEAD, visit http://www.eeoc.gov/initiatives/lead/.
About United Cerebral Palsy
United Cerebral Palsy is one of the nation’s leading organizations serving and advocating for the more than 54 million Americans with disabilities. Most UCP consumers are people with disabilities other than cerebral palsy. Through its nationwide network, United Cerebral Palsy offers services to individuals, families and communities such as job training and placement, physical therapy, individual and family support, early intervention, social and recreation programs, community living, state and local referrals, and instruction on how to use technology to perform everyday tasks. For more information, visit www.ucp.org.