What Can YOU Do? The Campaign for Disability Employment
By the Campaign for Disability Employment Team
Every day, people with disabilities can and do make important contributions to America's businesses and communities — people like you, and people like Pat, Elizabeth and Denyse, to name just a few.
Pat, who's been blind since birth, works as a senior adviser at a Federal Government agency, where he helps states and municipalities run their elections. Elizabeth is a former teacher and current peer educator who uses a wheelchair as a result of an illness. And Denyse is a senior human resources manager at a global consulting firm — and a U.S. Army veteran who experiences post-traumatic stress disorder.
For all of these individuals — and most of us in general — work is fundamental to who we are. It offers purpose and the opportunity to lead an independent, self-directed life. And it means so much more than a paycheck.
About the Campaign for Disability Employment
Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, the Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE) is a collaborative among several disability and business organizations that aim to change attitudes and improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities. In fact, the CDE is behind a series of public service announcements (PSAs) that have aired hundreds of thousands of times on television stations nationwide. Pat, Elizabeth and Denyse are just a few of the people featured in the "Who I Am" PSA.
To support its efforts, the CDE recently launched a new and improved website, WhatCanYouDoCampaign.org. Featuring a fresh, easy-to-navigate design, this new website offers tools, resources and videos that promote positive messages about the skills and talents that people with disabilities offer.
Among these new tools is a Resource Guide for Job Seekers & Employees with Disabilities, which can help connect you to job search resources, resume writing tips, job training programs, help with accommodations and more. Other website features include CDE support badges, free posters, discussion guides and more. We also host regular Twitter chats and social media campaigns on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram — and encourage you to follow us so you can learn, share and lend your voice to the conversation about disability and employment.
What Can YOU Do?
If you're interested in joining our movement, there are many ways for you to take advantage of the CDE.
- Visit our website and explore its features.
- Subscribe to our email update service.
- Play and share our PSAs.
- Explore our Resource Guide for Job Seekers & Employees with Disabilities.
If you are a person with a disability, you have the right to be judged on your ability, not disability — because at work, it's what people can do that matters. That's the core message of the CDE, and you can play an important role in helping us spread it far and wide.
About the Blogger
Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), the Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE) promotes positive employment outcomes for people with disabilities by encouraging employers, and others, to recognize the value and talent people with disabilities bring to America's workplaces. Launched in 2009, the CDE is a collaborative effort among ODEP and the following disability and business organizations: American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD); Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN); Job Accommodation Network (JAN); National Business and Disability Council (NBDC); National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC); National Organization on Disability (NOD); Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM); Special Olympics (SO); and the U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN). Numerous other supporters are actively promoting the CDE message. To learn more, visit WhatCanYouDoCampaign.org.
