One can’t help but understand this is driven by the increasing number of veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq with severe disability which renders them useless to their former employer, the US Military. However, the end result is that people who may have been formerly overlooked, without a war to spur initiative, may benefit. About.com offers a comprehensive and insightful look at President Bush’s initiative.

President Bush has asked Congress for sweeping changes to the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) designed to improve educational, employment and social opportunities for over 54 million disabled Americans.

Signed into law eleven years ago by President George Bush, the ADA represented the first major piece of civil rights legislation since the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and opened many of the real and virtual doors of society closed for years to the disabled.

“Because of that law, millions of Americans can now compete for jobs once denied them; enter buildings once closed to them; travel on buses and trains once unequipped for them,” stated President Bush in a Feb. 1, 2001 announcement.

# Lower cost and improve access to “assistive” technologies (text telephones, adaptive computer equipment, lightweight and powered wheelchairs, modern artificial limbs, etc.)
# Expand employment opportunities for the disabled, including opportunities for the disabled to work from home.
# Offer new transportation solutions for the disabled.
# Improve access to places of worship.

PR Newswire

The U.S. Department of Labor today kicked off its “Transforming the American Workplace: A 21st Century Vision” summit, which focuses on including people with disabilities in the American workforce and reduced barriers to employment. The invitation-only summit continues through tomorrow at Gallaudet University’s Kellogg Conference Center in Washington, D.C.

“Our mission is to continue to promote a culture of inclusiveness in the best tradition of our nation,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao in her keynote speech today to summit attendees. “Hiring Americans with disabilities is not only the right thing to do - it is the smart thing to do. And the technological revolution of the last fifteen years has given us unprecedented ways to incorporate the talents of all members of our society into the workforce.”

The inaugural summit has attracted representatives of corporations, universities, interest groups and government. Some of the workshops they
attended today included “Transforming the Workplace with New Technologies,” “Universal Design/Accessibility” and “Self-Employment and
Entrepreneurship.”

NEW YORK, April 14 /PRNewswire/ – The YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities Network was named number one in the Best Companies to Work for in New York for 2007. The New York State Society for Human Resource Management and Best Companies Group, an independent company managing Best Places to Work programs in 26 states around the country, presented the YAI/NIPD Network with the honor in the Large Companies category at an awards dinner on April 10 in Albany.

“By continually identifying ways to improve the work environment for its employees, the YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities Network has become a nurturing organization where people genuinely love to work,” said Barry R. Manus, Chair, Best Companies New York Initiative for the New York Sate Society for Human Resources Management, announcing the award. “From tuition reimbursement to a state-of-the-art training program, the organization places the utmost importance on supporting its staff growth and development.”

The statewide awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment — including for-profit and not-for-profits — in New York. Companies from across the state were ranked on the results of an employee survey and their workplace policies, benefits and implementation.

“We are enormously proud of this prestigious award,” said Dr. Philip H. Levy, President of the YAI/NIPD Network. “For 50 years, we have created an
environment where people are treated with dignity and respect. We recognize that staff is our greatest resource. And no one benefits more from this than the individuals and their families, whom we proudly serve.”

“We have made it a priority to create programs, policies and partnerships that enhance the lives of our staff members in and outside of work,” said Dr. Joel M. Levy, Chief Executive Officer of the YAI/NIPD Network. “We recognize the importance of the delicate work-life balance.”

The Best Companies to Work for in New York list is made up of 30 companies split into two groups: 15 medium-sized companies (25-250 employees) and 15 large-sized companies (251 or more employees). The YAI/NIPD Network has been named one of the Best Companies to Work for in New York in the large category.

The following is the rankings for the Best Large Companies to Work for in New York State:

1. The YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities Network, New York, N.Y.
2. Marcum & Kliegman LLP, Melville, N.Y.
3. The American Cancer Society Eastern Division, New York, N.Y.
4. Digitas, New York, N.Y.
5. Deloitte, New York, N.Y.
6. Independent Health, Buffalo, N.Y.
7. Anchin Block & Anchin LLP, New York, N.Y.
8. Syracuse Research Corporation, North Syracuse, N.Y.
9. Grant Thornton LLOP, New York, N.Y.
10. Sleepy’s LLC, Bethpage, N.Y.
11. Berkeley College, New York, N.Y.
12. The Arc of Steuben, Bath, N.Y.
13. Broadridge Financial Solutions, Lake Success, N.Y.
14. Visiting Nurse Service of New York, New York, N.Y.
15. St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center, Roslyn, N.Y.

In addition to the partnership, the program is supported by the following organizations: Major Sponsor-Right Management; Supporting Sponsors — Bernard Hodes Group and Jackson Lewis LLP.

Since 1957, the YAI/NIPD Network has provided a place of hope for people with developmental and learning disabilities. Comprised of seven
not-for-profit, independent health and human service agencies, the YAI/NIPD Network serves people of all ages throughout the New York metropolitan area, including Long Island, New Jersey and Westchester and Rockland counties. One of the most comprehensive networks of its kind, the YAI/NIPD Network’s more than 5,000 staff members serve over 20,000 individuals in more than 450 community-based programs.

The YAI/NIPD Network also has been recognized with the National Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award from the American Psychological
Association and the New York State Psychological Association’s state-level Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award.

For more information about the YAI/NIPD Network or to obtain services, call 1-866-2-YAI-LINK or visit http://www.yai.org.

For more information on the Best Companies to Work for in New York awards program, visit http://www.bestcompaniesNY.com or contact Beth Feltenberger at bethf@journalpub.com or 717-236-4300.