Updated

Updated · Disability Scoop · Aug 31

Labor Department Rescinds 7% Disability Hiring Goal for Federal Contractors as ADA Conflict Cited

Updated

Updated · Disability Scoop · Aug 31

Labor Department Rescinds 7% Disability Hiring Goal for Federal Contractors as ADA Conflict Cited

1 articles · Updated · Disability Scoop · Aug 31

A final Labor Department rule will start taking effect Sept. 21, ending a 2013 requirement that most federal contractors work toward having 7% disabled workers in each job group.
The department said the mandate could function like a quota and that requiring applicants and employees to self-identify disabilities conflicts with ADA limits on disability-related inquiries.
The rollback also eliminates expectations that contractors collect data on disabled applicants and hires, along with related recruitment, training, record-keeping and policy steps tied to the rule.
Charles-Edouard Catherine of the National Organization on Disability said the 7% goal and data collection were essential to the ADA's spirit and warned the change could reduce employment opportunities.

Sources

Will removing the seven percent benchmark truly protect disabled applicants from bias, or simply make them invisible in the corporate workforce?

With federal agencies offering conflicting guidance on disability data collection, how will employers avoid stepping into a massive legal trap?

If mandatory tracking vanishes to protect applicant privacy, how can systemic bias against disabled job seekers ever be proven?

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