Abled Body Where can-do is done different

The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed a move it calls necessary for helping more people with disabilities get hired amid a dismal unemployment rate: A new rule that would require federal contractors and subcontractors to set a hiring goal of 7% for the employment of people with disabilities. The new rule, if passed into law, would strengthen Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that obligates federal contractors and subcontractors to ensure equal employment opportunities for qualified workers with disabilities. Up until now, there has not been a clearly defined rule in place, though companies that do business with the government have to show evidence of taking proactive steps to recruit workers with disabilities. With four out of five workers with disabilities outside of the labor force, the Labor Dept. recognizes it has some work to do, starting with laws that can be enforced for the some 200,000 businesses ... keep reading »

Think Beyond the Label today launched an online jobs portal that connects job seekers with disabilities to employers, including those that are actively seeking to hire them. The job-search engine gives candidates with disabilities access to 860,000 jobs listings from large and small employers that have been “vetted”. With a nearly 15% unemployment rate among working-age Americans with disabilities, Think Beyond the Label hopes its jobs portal will promote disability employment opportunities, help grow the pipeline of qualified job candidates with disabilities, and meet businesses’ hiring needs. Full disclosure: I consult for Think Beyond the Label. I’m also keenly tuned into the job-search landscape for people with disabilities, and I’m not certain that search engines that index jobs across corporate websites will ever be the best way to land a job. Period. However, the real value in Think Beyond the Label’s new portal is in making employers aware that they can recruit ... keep reading »

By Suzanne Robitaille - UPDATED - This morning I received a call from Kathleen Lee, who works in Human Resources at Earnworks, which is housed at Cornell University’s Institute of Labor Relations. Lee called in response to my submission last night looking for an intern for abledbody.com. I had been unsure about whether anyone was going to get back to me, and was thrilled to hear from Earnworks so quickly. Lee asked me a few questions about my needs for an online publishing intern, and says she is going to look into students and recent grads at Connecticut-area schools to see if there’s a match. Lee’s source is the Department of Labors’ newly launched database of more than 2,500 college and entry-level students with disabilities, which is part of the government’s efforts to increase federal and private-sector initiatives to source and hire workers with disabilities. The program supports President Obama’s executive order ... keep reading »