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Assistant Secretary Roy Grizzard Kicks-Off 5th Annual Disability
Mentoring Day At U.S. Labor Department
WASHINGTON—Dr. Roy Grizzard, Assistant Secretary of the
Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), was the keynote
speaker at a U.S. Labor Department ceremony kicking off the
5th annual celebration of Disability Mentoring Day.
Disability Mentoring Day comes during National Disability Employment
Awareness Month. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao selected “America
Works Best When All Americans Work” as the official theme
for October to continue to focus on solutions that ensure the
full inclusion of persons with disabilities into the 21st Century
workforce.
“Disability Mentoring Day is an opportunity for young
people with disabilities to gain firsthand exposure to many
of the career options available to them,” Assistant Secretary
Grizzard said. “It makes employers and the general public
increasingly aware that people with disabilities represent a
highly talented, largely untapped resource for sustaining our
national economy and well-being.”
The ceremony, held in the department’s Great Hall, also
included remarks from Dr. Robert Pasternack, Assistant Secretary
of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department
of Education; Kathy Brown, Senior Vice President/Policy Development,
Verizon Communications; and Roslyn Dickerson, Vice President/Global
Diversity, Honeywell.
Disability Mentoring Day is designed to enhance internship and
employment opportunities for young people with disabilities
by bringing them together with employers from the public, private,
non-profit, and educational sectors for a day of job shadowing
and other hands-on career exploration activities. It represents
a collaborative partnership between ODEP and the American Association
of People with Disabilities.
Launched in 1999, Disability Mentoring Day promotes career development
for students and job seekers with disabilities. This year marks
the first time young people with disabilities in all 50 states
will participate in Disability Mentoring Day. In addition, youth
with disabilities in Guam, American Samoa, Japan, Italy, Singapore,
France, and the United Kingdom will also participate.
ODEP is the nation’s first assistant secretary-led agency
that specifically addresses policies that impact employment
of people with disabilities. It acts as a catalyst to stimulate
new ideas about employment through research and development,
policy analysis, technical assistance, and the identification
and promotion of effective business practices.
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