Justice Department Commemorates National Disability Employment Awareness Month

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- 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.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs, +1-202-514-2007, TDD
+1-202-514-1888