Justice Department Commemorates National Disability Employment Awareness Month

WASHINGTON – Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez of the Civil Rights Division issued the following statement today in commemoration of National Disability Employment Awareness month.

"The Civil Rights Division is committed to ensuring that the millions of Americans with disabilities are able to live full, productive lives through access to employment and all aspects of civic life. Unfortunately, myths and falsehoods about disabilities make it far too difficult for many individuals with disabilities to secure a job," said Assistant Attorney General Perez. "The Justice Department today renews its vigilance to fairly and judiciously enforcing federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of a disability. By protecting the rights of all individuals so that they can contribute to our society, we strengthen our communities and our nation as a whole. I am honored to join President Obama to commemorate National Disability Employment Awareness Month on the occasion of my return to the Justice Department."

Additionally, in recognition of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the Civil Rights Division will:

• Join the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to hold four Town Hall meetings throughout the nation to share information about the proposed ADA Amendments Act regulations and to gather comments on them.  All Town Hall meetings will consist of two sessions - one for disability advocates and one for the employer community. These sessions will be completed by November 20th. The four locations are Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco and New Orleans.
• Release a video produced by its Disability Rights Section that will identify and respond to a number of common myths held by employers about workers with disabilities. 

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. For more information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws that it enforces, please visit http://www.justice.gov/crt.