W. Roy Grizzard, Ed. D.
Assistant Secretary, U. S. Department of Labor

Employer Breakfast
2003 U. S. Business Leadership Network Annual Summit
San Francisco, CA
November 6, 2003

It's my pleasure to be with you this morning. First, I want to congratulate the USBLN on its incorporation as a 501C3 non-profit organization on October 28th. What better time than October - National Disability Employment Awareness Month - for the official launch of this new organization!

I particularly want to congratulate Katherine McCary, whose leadership has been so outstanding in this effort - and all the members of the BLN Steering Committee, including Claudia Ernharth, Kevin Foster, Colleen Fukui-Sketchley, Doug MacMillan, Kevin Bradley and Larry Williamson.

As many of you know, the original concept for the BLN came from a predecessor organization to the Office of Disability Employment Policy, or ODEP - the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. I know that some members of the BLN have expressed concern that ODEP did not retain this program. I would like to speak briefly to that subject.

Although located in the Executive Branch, the President's Committee operated quite autonomously. It had the authorities to solicit and utilize funding from private sources, and to select and operate programs with substantial latitude. With such a broad mission, the President's Committee was able to undertake a wide variety of programs, some of which are beyond the purview of ODEP, which was set up as a different kind of agency.

ODEP was established as a fully integrated component of the Department of Labor. Headed by an Assistant Secretary of Labor who reports to he Secretary of Labor, ODEP has "a seat at the table." Within the Department, ODEP is represented by an Assistant Secretary, and before the President, such as at cabinet meetings, ODEP is represented by the Secretary of Labor.

ODEP is charged with assessing the issues related to disability employment and developing policy recommendations to address them. Our mission is to provide leadership to increase employment opportunities for adults and youth with disabilities.

At ODEP, we do not administer direct programs or services. Rather, through grants and contracts, we fund research and other initiatives that help us to meet our mission.

ODEP is ever mindful of the need for change to effectuate the goals of the New Freedom Initiative. However, we are not seeking change for that which already works - indeed works well. Business-to-business communication is best left for business.

Business has the best expertise and legitimacy to shape new directions for business. The BLN is on the right path, and should be led by business, not government. The new BLN will most effectively implement its founding principle of "business speaking to business." Colleague to colleague is always an effective communication model.

ODEP will continue its role as a champion of the BLN. We are establishing a link to the USBLN on our website, so that businesses that come to our site will have a chance to learn about this important employer-led effort.

ODEP focuses its efforts on both the supply and demand sides of the workforce equation. To be successful in our mission, to effectively impact policy, it is important that we communicate with employers and understand their needs, as well as concerns.

Although we cannot provide direct staff support, as in the past, we will certainly continue to provide technical assistance when possible.

I encourage the BLN to take advantage of the technical assistance programs that ODEP funds, and to let us know how we can improve these services. We have the Job Accommodation Network (or JAN) and the Employer Assistance Referral Network (EARN). Also two technical assistance centers help the workforce development community to address issues affecting the employment of youth and adults with disabilities, and one technical assistance center has been established specifically to assist the provider community.

You can find links to all these programs on our website at www.dol.gov/odep.

ODEP recently awarded $15.3 million in federal grants that will support President George W. Bush's New Freedom Initiative goal of integrating Americans with disabilities into the workforce.

Included in these new grants is one for more than $200,000 to the Colorado BLN to assist in implementing a statewide High School/High Tech program.

I encourage other BLNs to respond to future announcements about grant opportunities. ODEP is also open to proposals from the USBLN in areas consistent with ODEP's mission, and to the extent that funding streams are available to other non-profit organizations that support our mission.

I am pleased that we were able to provide financial support for this Summit.

This is a great forum for the exchange of ideas, strategies, and effective practices. This is also an opportunity for you to generate recommendations to ensure that people with disabilities play a major role in the American workforce.

Please be assured that ODEP welcomes your experiences and insights in contributing to future policy recommendations.

Work is important, not just because it provides a paycheck, but because it defines who we are and what we do with our lives. No one should be denied that sense of satisfaction and identity, especially Americans with disabilities.

Secretary Chao chose the theme, "America Works Best when All Americans Work" for this year's "National Disability Employment Awareness Month. The Secretary is committed to ensuring that people with disabilities are fully integrated into the American workforce.

I would like to applaud all of you for everything you do to support full integration so that all Americans can experience the fulfillment that comes from meaningful work.

In closing, let me repeat what President Bush is fond of saying - "In the end, what matters are the results." The USBLN has the impetus and the capacity to produce successful results, and I look forward to hearing about your successes.

Thank you for inviting me here today. I hope you have a wonderful meeting.