NCD Spotlights Connecting People to Jobs by Employing Technology

Independent Federal Agency Releases New Report; Hosts ‘Virtual Job Fair’  

Oct. 4, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC-The National Council on Disability (NCD) releases a new report titled, “The Power of Digital Inclusion: Technology’s Impact on Employment and Opportunities for People with Disabilities” Tuesday, October 4 in observance of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. NCD acknowledges and is grateful for the work of principal investigator James D. White, Director of Communications Studies at the Center for Advanced Communications Policy at Georgia Institute of Technology; and industry partners, experts, and individual users who were also involved in the research for this report.

NCD is a small, independent federal agency comprised of 15 Presidentially-appointed, Senate-confirmed Council Members (and a small staff who support the Council’s work), who advise the President and Congress on disability policy.

In “The Power of Digital Inclusion,” the independent federal agency examines how six key digital technologies enhance social engagement, increase workplace participation, improve employment prospects and create employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Community participation is directly relevant to employment, but the social and civic participation of people with disabilities is comparatively low. 

In connection with the report’s release, NCD will be utilizing the social media technology discussed in the report to distribute job announcements collected from across the United States throughout the day via its Twitter and Facebook accounts.  Announcements can be followed on Twitter throughout the day by following the hashtag #NCDJobFair

Throughout the report, NCD makes specific recommendations to address educational roadblocks, removing barriers to a geographically decentralized workforce, internet access, pathways to employment, and partnership with public and private organizations.  In fulfilling the Americans with Disabilities Act to realize full inclusion of people with disabilities in the workforce and their local communities, NCD outlines in this report how we can improve employment and independence of people with disabilities through the use of technology.

Full report is available on NCD’s website at:  /publications/2011/Oct042011