CMHS Consumer Affairs E-News
October 17, 2002, Vol. 02-76

New Web site Provides E-Government Resource for People with Disabilities

WASHINGTON - Yesterday, at the New Freedom Initiative Celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Department of Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao unveiled DisabilityInfo.gov, a new Web site for people with disabilities.

DisabilityInfo.gov is the result of a collaborative effort across multiple federal agencies. Containing information on civil rights, education, employment, housing, health care, technology and transportation, among other subjects, the site is designed to be a one-stop source of government information relevant to people with disabilities, their families, employers, and service providers. The site was developed in response to an Executive Memorandum issued by President George W. Bush on August 28, 2002, directing federal agencies to develop a web site for people with disabilities within 60 days.

"I am so pleased the President selected the Labor Department to lead the effort to establish DisabilityInfo.gov, and I am delighted with the result," said Secretary Elaine L. Chao. "DisabilityInfo.gov provides Americans with disabilities a direct and easy connection to the information and resources needed to access opportunities to become full participants in their communities and the 21st Century workforce."

This site, the first of its kind, will provide individuals with one-stop access to government disability information and resources as well as updates on the New Freedom Initiative. While DisabilityInfo.gov will be managed by the Department of Labor, content for the portal will be a responsibility shared across multiple federal agencies.

DisabilityInfo.gov is part of President Bush's New Freedom Initiative, a comprehensive plan designed to ensure that Americans with disabilities have the opportunity to learn and develop skills, engage in productive work, make choices about their daily lives, and participate fully in their communities. The Labor Department's Office of Disability Employment Policy is charged with providing national leadership to increase meaningful employment opportunities for people with disabilities and is primarily responsible for implementing the employment-related aspects of the President's Initiative.