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Disability Resources

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People with disabilities need good jobs too. The Department of Labor has several agencies that can help people with disabilities find meaningful work and launch successful careers, help employers hire people with disabilities, and help federal contractors stay within the law when hiring.

  • Office of Disability Employment Policy
    • ODEP opens access to training, education, employment supports, assistive technology, and more.
    • ODEP's http://www.disability.gov offers social media tools and upgrades to complement the information from 22 federal agencies on disability-related programs and services.
    • ODEP does not enforce any laws.
  • Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
    • OFCCP enforces Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act
      • Federal contractors and subcontractors with contracts of $10,000 or more must take affirmative action to employ and promote qualified people with disabilities.
    • OFCCP has coordinating authority under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act
      • ADA prohibits employers with 15 or more employees from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities.
    • The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has primary authority for enforcing the employment provisions of ADA. Most government contractors are covered by both Section 503 and the ADA.
    • OFCCP enforces the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act,
      • VEVRAA prohibits employment discrimination against certain categories of veterans by federal contractors. Some disabled veterans are covered under this law.
  • Employment and Training Administration provides grant programs and other services to enhance the employment opportunities of people with disabilities.
  • Civil Rights Center, part of Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management, enforces several federal disability nondiscrimination laws, including Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 188 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, and others.
    • Section 504 imposes affirmative disability-related responsibilities on recipients of federal financial assistance as well as federal programs and activities and prohibits disability-based discrimination by those groups. The CRC enforces the law on groups that receive financial assistance from DOL.
    • Section 508 requires that electronic and information technology be accessible to people with disabilities.
    • Section 188 prohibits disability-based discrimination by programs and activities that are offered as part of the One-Stop service delivery system established by WIA Title I. Title II of the ADA contains similar provisions applicable to public employers; CRC is responsible for enforcing Title II with regard to "all programs, services, and regulatory activities" of organizations "relating to labor and the work force."
    • Executive Order: E.O. 11478 prohibits employment discrimination and requires affirmative action on various bases, including disability, by the federal government
    • Executive Order: E.O. 13160 prohibits disability-based discrimination in education programs and activities conducted by executive departments and agencies.