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A Day in the Life: Sam from Virginia

Editor’s note: Leading up to the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26, Secretary Tom Perez and Deputy Secretary Chris Lu are traveling across the country to talk with...

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Building Evidence to Support Disability Rights

Twenty-one-year old Natacha Rodriquez suffered a traumatic brain injury in an accident. Upon returning to work after sustaining her injury, Natacha was unable to retain the security patrol officer...

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Seizing the Opportunities of Employment First

When I was a young man in graduate school, I, and a fellow student, Tom, were asked to help a transitioning student with a disability find a job. His name was Tracy and he was about to leave high...

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Employers: Putting Internships to Work for You

The end of summer is here and many interns are making decisions about their future employment and so are the employers who recruited them. Given that 92% of employers surveyed this year hosted...

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NDEAM 2015: My Disability is One Part of Who I Am

In September, I had the pleasure of sailing on board a universally accessible 60-foot catamaran that docked in Annapolis, Maryland, as part of its journey along the east coast to honor this summer’s...

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My Job Search: A Story of Solidarity in the Disability Community

Editor’s note: This was originally published on the Disability.gov blog. If you asked me about my future career plans when I was younger, I would have told you I wanted to be a sociology professor....

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America Needs ALL of Us

Editor’s Note: This post has been cross-posted from USA Today. You can view the original here. October is the nation’s 70th National Disability Employment Awareness Month, a time for us to celebrate...

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“Ban the Box”: Good for People with Disabilities

Over the past few years, a growing list of city, state and local governments; organizations; and private companies have come forward to support “Ban the Box.” It’s an initiative to persuade employers...

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The Invitation that Moved Me

“Come to D.C. for a girl’s weekend.” Sounds fun – right? For me, this was a liberating moment. On March 8, 2012, my best friend invited me to fly from Illinois to Washington, D.C., for the weekend. She...

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Small Business and Disability Employment: Steps to Success

For the past five years, I have had the pleasure of managing the Office of Disability Employment Policy’s Add Us In initiative. Through this grant program, eight consortia across the country have...

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The Family Connection: Supporting Postsecondary Success of Young Adults with...

The author Alex Haley once wrote that family is a “bridge to our future.” And thinking about my own transition to adulthood, I couldn’t agree more. During my elementary and high school years, my...

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The Interview that Changed My Life Forever

On a crisp fall day in 2011, I donned my best professional outfit, harnessed up my guide dog Railey, and headed off for another day of college classes. I had a special appointment between management...

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Looking Forward, Looking Back

There are some days you’ll never forget, and for me, today is one of them. It’s my last day as assistant secretary of labor for disability employment policy, and, as expected, I’m experiencing mixed...

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I’m a Federal Employee Thanks to Schedule A. You Can Be, Too!

We’ve all been through it. You submit a job application through USAJobs, and then don’t hear another word. You know you have the skills for that federal position, but you feel like the employment...

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Improving Mental Health for Workers, This Month and Every Month

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, and this year I find myself viewing this issue through an international lens. That’s because in March, I had the distinct honor of travelling to The Hague...

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3 Things You Can Do to Celebrate 25 Years of the ADA

July marks the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, one of our nation’s proudest civil rights triumphs. By prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities in the...

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Diversify Your Workforce

At the Labor Department, we strive to ensure that the federal workforce reflects the diversity of America. After all, that is who we serve. This diversity includes more than 50 million Americans with...

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We ALL Need Mentors!

Mentoring guarantees young people that there is someone who cares about them, assures them they are not alone in dealing with day-to-day challenges and helps them feel like they matter. Research...

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Job Seekers and Employees with Disabilities Need Better Accessible...

In the 25 years since the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we have lived through a technological revolution. We have seen technology empower people with disabilities in all aspects of...

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Celebrating and Expanding the Legacy of Black History for All Americans

In fall 2000, Dr. Ruth Simmons was elected the first African-American president of an Ivy League institution, Brown University. I was a junior there at the time, and in fact walking across its main...

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Accessible Workplace Technology: Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Last week, I had a brush with a bona fide music legend — the great Stevie Wonder. Was I starstruck? Of course. I’ve long admired his musical accomplishments and advocacy for people with disabilities....

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Autism and Access to the American Dream

Earlier this month, President Barack Obama issued a proclamation to recognize World Autism Awareness Day 2016. This proclamation noted the importance of making sure autistic Americans have a chance put...

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#InclusionWorks

I’ve worked in the disability employment policy arena for more than 20 years, and a lot has changed in this time. Looking back, the progress I’m most thrilled about isn’t just the policy action we’ve...

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Plotting a Roadmap to Success

Now that we’ve rung in the New Year, many of us will be making resolutions and setting plans for the year ahead. This is an important first step toward success – after all, you can’t achieve a goal if...

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Helping the Federal Workforce Reflect the Citizenry It Serves

Last month, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management — the independent agency that manages the federal government workforce — released a report showing positive movement in the representation of people...

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Career Mentoring Youth with Disabilities as a Business Strategy

Editor’s note: This article has been cross-posted from Disability.gov and was written by guest blogger Jill Houghton, executive director of the US Business Leadership Network. US Business Leadership...

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A Powerful Message for Youth With Disabilities

On Sunday, people across the country will take part in an American tradition: watching the Super Bowl on television. This year, one player in particular has captured my interest: the Seattle Seahawks’...

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Civil Rights in America: We Rise Together

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, this year’s Black History Month theme is “Civil Rights in America.” This theme has special resonance to us in the Office...

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The 1990s: A Decade of Expanding Opportunity

In 1995, I was offered a job at the U.S. Department of Labor. I was 30 years old and had worked in Washington, D.C., for a few years, but still had stars in my eyes. To say I was thrilled is an...

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The Thrill of Being in the Game

This week, America’s Paralympians hit the snow and ice in Sochi, where they will compete in five different winter disciplines: alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, sled hockey and wheelchair...

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Shelly Saves the Future

Meet Shelly. Shelly is a senior in high school, and like 3.3 million seniors across the country, she will graduate this year. Congrats, Shelly! It can be difficult and scary for young people like...

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Fostering a Culture of Inclusion

Every day across the nation, and in fact the world, people with disabilities add significant value to America’s federal contractor workforce. Just one example is Helen Chang, a Web developer with a...

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Expect. Employ. Empower.

As assistant secretary of labor for disability employment policy, I am often asked about the key to advancing disability employment. Is it accessible technology? Better transportation systems?...

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Fostering an Expectation of Employment

May is National Foster Care Month, a time to celebrate the many people who play a role in enhancing the lives of youth in foster care, and of course those youth themselves. It is also an important time...

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Promoting Good Mental Health for Today’s Workforce – and Tomorrow’s

May is Mental Health Month, and although it is drawing to a close, it’s always worth considering the important role that mental health plays in our overall well-being. Mental Health Month is also...

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“Same Struggle, Different Difference” – Opportunities for Togetherness

Each June, the LGBTQ+ community and allies commemorate Pride Month, promoting self-affirmation, dignity, visibility, inclusion and diversity within the community. In July, the disability community and...

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Employment First: A Key Component in Community Inclusion

This past weekend marked the 15th anniversary of a landmark event in disability rights history — the Supreme Court’s ruling in Olmstead v. L.C., commonly referred to as the “Olmstead decision.” This...

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Opening Doors for Students with Disabilities

Editor’s note: This article has been cross-posted from the disability.gov blog. The author, TaKeisha Bobbitt, is the managing director of the American Association of People with Disabilities....

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What Does Advocacy Look Like to You?

  We have made great progress towards equal opportunities for people with disabilities in the 26 years since the signing of the ADA, but we still have a lot of work to do in order to ensure all...

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Bo Knows … the Importance of Inclusion

Those of a certain age may remember “Bo Knows,” a highly successful advertising campaign for cross-training athletic shoes that ran in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was a series of television...

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Call to Action: Make Disability Visible in Everything We Do

July 26 is the anniversary of the signing in 1990 of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In recognition of the spirit of the Act, we are pleased to recommit to the important work of making our...

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MIND/GAME: My Unquiet Journey with a Mental Health Condition

Yesterday, I celebrated the 26th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act at the Labor Department. The gathering was a special one, drawing scores of government officials, advocates and...

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Pursuing a Degree While Working, Thanks to Flexible Options

After a grueling 22-month master’s degree program, I was relieved and excited when I stepped onto the stage to receive my diploma on May 13. The announcer called my name, and a few nervous steps and a...

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Back to School: Challenges and Opportunities for Students and their Families

The start of a new school year marks an exciting but somewhat stressful time for all students and their families. Students must juggle new schedules, class assignments, rules and relationships, and...

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Inclusion Works for Business

Today, disability inclusion is something America’s businesses are committed to advancing. Smart companies understand that people with disabilities represent a large and growing market and, as with any...

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Dialogue to Make #InclusionWork

  October is a special time of year for us at the Department of Labor. If you’ve been following this blog in recent weeks, you may already know why; It’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month....

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All Employers Need to Know About Inclusion Can be Learned from Kindergartners

Nearly 20 years ago, author Robert Fulghum catapulted to the top of the bestseller list with a simple credo: All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. In this collection of essays, he made a...

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#InclusionWorks for Employers

Last month I had the pleasure of attending the U.S. Business Leadership Network national conference, an annual gathering of companies committed to increasing disability inclusion.  For three days,...

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#InclusionWorks: Diving into the Data

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Here at the U.S. Department of Labor, this means an opportunity both to celebrate the countless contributions workers with disabilities make...

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#InclusionWorks for Innovation: How Microsoft is Opening Doors for Everyone

This year’s theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month, #InclusionWorks, has special meaning for Microsoft, and for me. Most everyone at some point in their career will face moments where...

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