Fwd: ACTION ALERT: Speak Up to Support Disability Affirmative Action Regulations

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ACTION ALERT: Speak Up to Support Disability Affirmative

Action Regulations

Date:

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:03:17 -0500 (EST)

From:

Autistic Self Advocacy Network

ASAN Alert

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Act

Now! New Proposed Regulations to Section 503 of

the Rehabilitation Act

Dear Friends:

It has been over twenty years after

the passage of the Americans with Disabilities

Act, but we all know that there is still much

work to be done to improve the employment

picture for people with disabilities. Over the

next week, you have an opportunity to take

action towards making that difference. The

Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract

Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has proposed new

regulations strengthening Section 503 of the

Rehabilitation Act, which requires federal

contractors to engage in affirmative action to

hire people with disabilities. The proposed

regulations would set a target utilization goal

of people with disabilities working for the

company which contractors would need to work

towards meeting. The regulations also consider

creating a more specific sub-goal, requiring

contractors to focus affirmative action on those

with the greatest history of exclusion from the

workforce. Section 503 has been law for decades,

but was never meaningfully enforced - but now

the proposed regulation promises to change that,

applying the same common sense rules of the road

as already exist for affirmative action on the

basis of race and gender. Unfortunately, many in

the contractor community are writing in to

oppose the regulations. We need you to speak up!

Here's what you can do:

Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=OFCCP_FRDOC_0001-0013.

If for whatever reason that link doesn't work

for you, go to http://www.regulations.gov

and search for RIN 1250-AA02 to find the

regulation.

Once you're at the regulation and have taken

the time to review it if you are so inclined,

click on the Submit a Comment button on the

right side of the screen.

Fill out your contact information and provide

your comments. We've prepared three major points

we hope that you'll emphasize:

I support the Office of Federal Contract

Compliance Program's proposed regulation

strengthening Section 503 of the

Rehabilitation Act and adding a utilization

goal to hold contractors accountable for

hiring people with disabilities.

I urge OFCCP to move forward with their

proposal, mentioned as under consideration in

the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, to

establish a sub-goal for individuals with

targeted disabilities with the greatest

history of exclusion from the workforce. I

urge OFCCP to implement such a sub-goal and to

include the autism spectrum and other

developmental disabilities as within the

sub-goal's "targeted disability" category.

I urge OFCCP to clarify in the Final Rule

that contractors should only be able to count

individuals in integrated employment settings

towards meeting their affirmative action

obligations, not individuals employed through

subcontracts to sheltered workshops.

Together, we can make a difference

for the employment picture of people with

disabilities. Remember, we have only until

February 21st, 2012 to submit comments - just

one more week! Make sure that our voices are

heard.

Nothing About Us, Without Us!

Regards,

Melody Latimer

Director of Community Engagement

Autistic Self Advocacy Network

The

Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) is a

non-profit organization run

by and for Autistic people, fighting for

disability rights in the world

of autism. Working in fields such as public

policy, media

representation, research and systems change,

ASAN hopes to empower

Autistic people across the world to take control

of their own lives and

the future of our common community.

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