The National Business & Disability Council

President Obama Instructs Federal Agencies to Increase Employment of Workers with Disabilities

July 2010 —

President Obama recently issued an executive order instructing federal agencies to take steps to increase employment of people with disabilities. The order instructs agencies to take steps to meet a goal of hiring an additional 100,000 employees with disabilities over a five year period. President Obama stated that little steps were taken to reach the original goal set by President Clinton in a July 2000 executive order and additional effort by the federal government is expected in the employment of workers with disabilities through increased recruitment, hiring, and retention.

Revised ADA Regulations: Implementing Title II and Title III

July 2010 —

On Friday, July 23, 2010, final regulations revising the Department’s ADA regulations, including its ADA Standards for Accessible Design were signed by Attorney General Eric Holder and were published in the Federal Register. The revised regulations will amend the Department’s Title II regulation onNondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in State and Local Government Services and the Title III regulation on Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities. Appendix B to the Title III regulation discusses major changes in the ADA Standards for Accessible Design.

HIRE Act Tax Incentives for Employers

June 2010 —

Last month, the IRS introduced two new tax benefits that are available to employers hiring workers who were previously unemployed or only working part time. These provisions are part of the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act.

FCC Releases Series on Accessibility and Technology Issues

June 2010 —

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently released, in conjunction with the National Broadband Plan, a series of working papers addressing accessibility and technology issues. Its focus is on the barriers to broadband (refers to high-speed Internet access) usage faced by people with disabilities that pertain to inaccessible hardware, software, services, web content and expensive specialized assistive technologies.

The ADA Turns 20!

April 2010 —

Monday, July 26, 2010 will mark the 20 anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was signed by George H.W. Bush on the South Lawn of the White House in 1990. It became known as the world’s first comprehensive declaration of equality for people with disabilities. In his speech to thousands, former President Bush closed his remarks and said "Today’s legislation brings us closer to that day when no American will ever again be deprived of their basic guarantees of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

Enacted by the U.S. Congress, its intent is to prohibit discrimination based on disability, which is defined by the ADA as a "physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity." Certain specific conditions are excluded as disabilities, such as current substance abuse and visual impairment which is correctable by prescription lenses.

The 2010 DiversityInc Top 50 List

April 2010 —

This year, 449 companies participated in the DiversityInc Top 50 challenge, which was up 12 percent from last year and 75 percent in the past four years. Every company that fills out the survey receives a free report card assessing performance in the four areas measured: CEO Commitment, Human Capital, Corporate and Organizational Communications, and Supplier Diversity. Companies must score above average in all four areas to earn a spot on the list. Research results found that:

Aggregate data from the 2010 DiversityInc Top 50 shows a sharp escalation in diversity initiatives. For example:

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An average of 22 percent of employees were members of employee-resource groups, compared with 19 percent last year and 5 percent five years ago

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Ninety percent have cross-cultural mentoring programs, compared with 82 percent last year and 42 percent five years ago

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An average of 39 percent of philanthropy went to multicultural charities, compared with 22 percent last year and 5 percent five years ago

February 2010 Disability Employment Statistics Released

February 2010 —

As previously reported, last year, questions used to identify persons with a disability in the civilian non-institutional population age 16 and older were added to the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly survey of households conducted by the Bureau of Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) that provides a comprehensive body of statistical data on labor force, employment, unemployment and persons not in the labor force.

The addition of these questions allowed BLS to begin releasing monthly labor force data from the CPS for persons with a disability. The collection of data is sponsored by the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). Publication of CPS disability data began in February 2009 with the issuance of labor force data for January 2009. Beginning with the release of the January 2010 data on February 5, 2010, information on the employment status of persons by disability status was included as part of the Employment Situation news release.