EEOC WINS NATIONAL DISABILITY AWARD

DOD Honor Highlights Commission Efforts to be Model Workplace

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has received a prestigious national award from the Department of Defense for its leadership in increasing employment and accessibility for people with disabilities, highlighting successful efforts of EEOC Chair Cari M. Dominguez to make the agency a model workplace.

The Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) of the U.S. Department of Defense presented its 2005 CAP Achievement Award to the EEOC – which enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination against people with disabilities – for acting on its own principles in maintaining a disability-friendly workplace.  CAP provides thousands of accommodations annually to disabled employees throughout the federal government.

"We are delighted that the Pentagon has recognized our efforts to promote equal opportunities and greater access for federal employees with disabilities," Chair Dominguez said.  "Making the EEOC a model workplace – practicing what we preach – is a key component of the Commission's guiding Five-Point Plan."

Patricia Foley of the EEOC's Office of Human Resources was specifically honored, along with the agency, for obtaining more than 100 accommodations for people with disabilities.  These accommodations included ordering ergonomic assessments for employees and obtaining assistive equipment such as adaptive computer hardware and software.  Ms. Foley handles requested accommodations through CAP in addition to managing the sign-language interpreter schedule and performing interpreting work.

Dinah Cohen, Director of CAP stated, "We depend on our partnerships with federal agencies and their leadership to help us increase employment of people with disabilities. We are very pleased to have had a partnership agreement with EEOC for over three years."

The award was presented Tuesday at a CAP symposium at the Kennedy Center in Washington.  Chair Dominguez will tour CAP's center on Friday and meet with program leaders and David Chu, Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness to discuss further EEOC efforts to advance workplace access for people with disabilities.  CAP also presented similar awards to three other government agencies—Health and Human Services, the Department of the Army, and DOD Washington Headquarters Services.

The EEOC enforces the nation's laws in the private and federal sectors prohibiting employment discrimination based on race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age and disability. These statutes include Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, sections of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Equal Pay Act, Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and sections of the Civil Rights Act of 1991.  Further information about the EEOC is available online at www.eeoc.gov.