Compliance July 27, 2009

DoL Updates Disability Info Web Site

July 27, 2009 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - In conjunction with the 19th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the U.S. Department of Labor has renamed and relaunched its Web site offering information about programs and services serving Americans with disabilities, their family members, veterans, employers, educators, caregivers and anyone interested in disability-related information.

Reported by

Rebecca Moore

A DoL news release said DisabilityInfo.gov is now Disability.gov, available at http://www.disability.gov . The The new Web site integrates content from 22 federal agencies and has been revamped with social media tools to encourage interaction and feedback, and new ways to organize, share and receive information, according to the announcement.

Visitors can sign up for personalized news and updates, participate in online discussions and suggest resources for the site. New features include a Twitter feed, Really Simple Syndication feeds, a blog, social bookmarking, and a user-friendly way to obtain answers to questions on such topics as finding employment and job accommodations. Additional tools will be added during the months ahead, the DoL said.

The site is organized into 10 subject areas: benefits, civil rights, community life, education, emergency preparedness, employment, health, housing, technology and transportation. By selecting a category, visitors are directed to information on federal and state government programs and services, news and events, grants and funding opportunities, and more.

In addition, Disability.gov contains thousands of links to information from its federal agency partners, as well as educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and state and local governments.

“Far more than just a directory of federal resources, Disability.gov is a meeting ground for Americans to learn, respond and communicate about a wealth of critically important disability-related topics,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, in the announcement. “The new site has been vastly enhanced to provide more information in as efficient and interactive setting as possible.”