Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)

In 2001, Congress approved an Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) to be headed by an Assistant Secretary. ODEP’s mission is to provide leadership to increase employment opportunities for adults and youth with disabilities. ODEP is a federal agency in the Department of Labor. Its customers include the following:

• Individuals with disabilities and their families;
• Private employers and their employees;
• Federal, state, and local government agencies;
• Educational and training institutions;
• Disability advocates; and
• Providers of services and government employers.

ODEP focuses on both the supply and demand side of the labor market related to employment of people with disabilities.

• On the supply side, ODEP works to increase opportunities by expanding access to training, education, employment supports, assistive technology, integrated employment, entrepreneurial development, and small-business opportunities.
• On the demand side, ODEP builds partnerships with employers and state and local agencies to increase awareness of the benefits of hiring people with disabilities, and to facilitate the use of effective strategies.

Some of the programs under ODEP to achieve its goals include the following:

• Employer Assistance Referral Network (EARN) is a national toll-free telephone and electronic information referral service, designed to assist employers in locating and recruiting qualified workers with disabilities. It also provides technical assistance on general disability employment-related issues.
• High School/High Tech provides opportunities for students with all types of disabilities to explore exciting careers in science, mathematics, and technology.
• Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is an information and referral service on job accommodations for people with disabilities; on the employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act; and on resources for technical assistance, funding, education, and services related to the employment of people with disabilities. In addition, JAN analyzes trends and statistical data related to the technical assistance it provides.
• Perspectives on Employment of People with Disabilities in the Federal Sector is an annual conference, co-sponsored by six federal agencies and chaired by the Office of Disability Employment Policy. It brings together federal EEO officials and personnel representatives who deal with issues that affect the employment of people with disabilities within the federal government.
• Workforce Recruitment Program, Coordinated by the Office of Disability Employment Policy and the U.S. Department of Defense, aims to provide summer work experience, and in some cases full-time employment, for college students with disabilities. The program develops partnerships with other federal agencies, each of whom makes a commitment to provide summer jobs and a staff recruiter.
• Youth Leadership Forums assist states in developing youth leadership training for high school students with disabilities. Based on a highly successful program of Youth Leadership Forums (YLF) in California, the long-term goal of the program is to replicate this training in all 50 states.