Originally published here.

Equal pay for women is one of the signature equality issues facing us today, and as far as I'm concerned, it's something we can never talk about enough. But what's also worth talking about is equal pay for women with disabilities, which of course is the focus of today's program. I can't tell you how impressed I am that the organizers of this event have chosen to explore the equal pay issue through the lens of disability. To some, it may seem like a unique take on the larger issue, but to me, it's a consideration that cannot be ignored.

As you heard, I work in the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, commonly referred to as ODEP. As part of the Labor Department's focus on expanding opportunities for all Americans, we work to promote policies and practices that ensure today’s workforce is inclusive of all people—including people with disabilities. So workplace equality issues facing people with disabilities are what we live and breathe each day.

In ODEP, we consider workplace equality—including equal pay— to be a basic civil right. And if you think about it, that quest for equality has been the foundation of all of the civil rights movements throughout our history. We were reminded of this last July when our nation celebrated the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964—the landmark legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin, in turn increasing access to opportunity for more Americans. And then, in 1990, that ideal of equality was renewed and expanded with the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

As you probably know, we'll be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the ADA this summer, and there is a lot to celebrate. We've made monumental progress in meeting its vision—especially in terms of physical access. Just think about the accessible practices that have become commonplace in our nation today, from curb cuts to accessible restrooms. However, in spite of these monumental strides, Americans with disabilities are still lagging behind the rest of the population on the jobs front. In fact, Secretary of Labor Perez calls employment the "unfinished business" of the ADA, and I couldn't agree more.

Solutions & Strategies

According to the research I mentioned earlier, together we can collectively adopt and implement strategies to improve the state of employment and earnings of women with disabilities.

• One of them is to reduce early biases toward girls and young women with disabilities, and their own internal stigma, which is just so important.

• The second is to increase early access and participation in the STEM fields of study. I know you're all aware of the emphasis to encourage more women to pursue careers in science, tech, engineering and math, and women with disabilities must be a part of this initiative.

• Other strategies are to improve education-to-career transition efforts that aim to reinforce concepts of independent living, economic self-sufficiency and full participation; and to increase post-secondary educational attainment by women with disabilities.

• We must also work to reduce isolation by mainstreaming, mentorships, networks, and early exposure to work.

• And finally, we must continue to promote employer-oriented promising practices in disability inclusion and hiring, and efforts to reduce discrimination within the hiring and accommodation processes.

Now, how exactly can we make this all happen? Much of it maps back to the employer, and there are many exemplary businesses practices that we espouse in ODEP. The practices fall into the areas of:

• Organizational readiness and inclusive environments;

• Accessible employment processes;

• Provision of workplace accommodations;

• Recruitment, training and professional development;

• Mentorships and networks; and

• Information-sharing and awareness-raising.

You can read the complete article here.