Vermont’s GCEPD reiterates ongoing commitment to improving the disability employment landscape

Vermont’s Governor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities (GCEPD) has announced its collaboration with the Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE), a national initiative designed to increase the employment of people with disabilities. Every day, people with disabilities can and do add value to America’s workplaces. However, in both good economic times and bad, people with disabilities have far fewer job opportunities than the general population. The Campaign for Disability Employment’s goal ‘and the goal of the GCEPD as well - is to promote the hiring, retention and advancement of people with disabilities and dispel negative stereotypes about disability and employment.
In support of the Campaign, the GCEPD will promote the advocacy Web site, www.whatcanyoudocampaign.org, and its grassroots tools and tangible ideas for supporting the Campaign’s goals and challenging assumptions about people with disabilities and employment.
Furthermore, the GCEPD will be participating in trade shows; distributing educational materials; releasing Vermont versions of the Campaign’s flagship ‘I CAN’audio and video public service announcements; running a video viewing campaign; promoting noteworthy employment practices, resources and employers of distinction on our website ‘www.hireus.org ; and conducting broad outreach through the electronic distribution of our newsletter, ‘Abilities’.
‘We are thrilled to continue our education and outreach efforts to increase the employment outcomes for Vermonters of ALL abilities by collaborating in this groundbreaking campaign to advance America’s promise of opportunity for all,’said April Tuck, Chair of the Vermont GCEPD and Senior Vice President for Human Resources and Compliance at Copley Health Systems. ‘Together, we can drive positive change by illustrating that at work, it’s what people CAN do that matters.’
About the Vermont GCEPD
The Governor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities (GCEPD) is a permanent statewide committee established in 1963 by the Vermont legislature to promote the employment of people with disabilities. Its 21 members represent a broad cross section of individuals from business, disability groups, government, and service providers. Through education and outreach activities it provides support and resources to employers and job seekers to facilitate the employment and accommodation of people of all abilities.
About the Campaign for Disability Employment
The CDE seeks to promote positive employment outcomes for people with disabilities by encouraging employers, and others, to recognize the value and talent that people with disabilities bring to the workplace, as well as the dividend to be realized by fully including people with disabilities at work. The Campaign is a collaborative effort between the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD); National Business and Disability Council (NBDC); National Council of La Raza (NCLR); National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC); Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM); Special Olympics (SO); and the U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN). The Campaign is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), receives technical assistance from the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) and is supported by the Disability Policy Research Center (DPRC) at West Virginia University. For more information, visit www.whatcanyoudocampaign.org.
Richmond,Vermont, September 10, 2012