The EEOC and DOL Release Disability Resource Guide
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October 23, 2023
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently released a commemorative resource guide about recruiting, hiring, and employing individuals with disabilities.
The EEOC the DOL’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) and Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) issued the guide, entitled Employment Protections Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973: 50 Years of Protecting Americans with Disabilities in the Workplace, to explain the key roles that these agencies have in enforcement, outreach, and education regarding the Rehabilitation Act. Through the Rehabilitation Act, these agencies seek to ensure that individuals with disabilities receive equal employment opportunities in the federal sector and federal contracting.
The resource guide includes important information about the Rehabilitation Act for both workers and employers, including, but not limited to, where to turn for assistance, examples of best practices, links to relevant agency publications, and links to relevant laws and regulations.
For example, with respect to recruiting and hiring, the guide provides information about the Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP). The WRP is a recruitment and referral program that connects federal and private-sector employers with college students or recent graduates with disabilities who are eager to demonstrate their abilities in the workplace. With respect to reasonable accommodations, the guide provides information about the Job Accommodation Network (JAN). JAN provides free one-on-one practical guidance and technical assistance on job accommodation solutions.
Employers and workers, alike, are urged to review these resources – particularly now, during National Disability Employment Awareness Month – to help remove unnecessary barriers to employment and ensure access and inclusion for qualified individuals with disabilities in the federal workforce.
*Special thanks to Ava Petrellese, our Paralegal, and to Brooke Palma, our Office Administrator, for their contributions to this article.
