Disability Hiring Gets a Boost
President Obama and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are rolling out a suite of efforts to enhance the number of people who are disabled in both the public and private sectors. They'll start with four forums around the country in Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco and New Orleans, which will take place by November 20 of this year. And then next spring, the government will hold a major job fair for people with disabilities who are interested in federal employment.
I think this is a great initiative, particularly for federal agencies who might find new, and overlooked, sources of terrific employees. I do worry, though, that the forums in the cities outside of D.C. are dividing up their sessions for employers and disability advocates. It seems like having those people in the same room might make for a productive, if occasionally difficult, conversation.