LRS signs on with state and national organizations on proposed rules for hiring people with disabilities

The Ohio Legal Rights Service (LRS) joined the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law and other state and national organizations in commenting on proposed regulations implementing affirmative action and non-discrimination obligations of contractors and subcontractors when hiring people with disabilities. The comments, provided in a letter to the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), strongly support OFCCP's proposal to strengthen its regulations implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and provides recommendations for areas of improvement.

The comments identified two primary areas to strengthen the regulations: (1) Require an additional utilization goal for underrepresented groups and (2) clarify that contractors who subcontract with sheltered workshops may not count individuals in the sheltered workshops toward the contractors' utilization goals. Addressing these areas will ensure that affirmative action efforts are meaningful to people with disabilities by making sure that contractors are employing people with disabilities who have historically been excluded from employment. It would also encourage contractors to provide full compensation in integrated employment rather leaving people to remain in sheltered workshops.

Read the comments: Comments on Proposed Regulations Implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, RIN 1250-AA02 (PDF file)

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