EEOC ON WEDNESDAY TO HOST EMPLOYER ROUNDTABLE ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

WASHINGTON -- As part of its continuing dialogue on emergency preparedness for people with disabilities, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will host an employer roundtable discussion on Wednesday, June 7, from 10:00 a.m. to  12 noon, at agency headquarters, 1801 L Street, N.W.

The panel discussion, moderated by Commissioner Christine M. Griffin, will include employer representatives from J.P. Morgan Chase, TecAccess, Prudential, Agilent Technologies and Pitney Bowes.  Speakers will review their companies’ preparedness plans and how accommodations are made for persons with disabilities.Also, plans for continuity of operations and recommendations for other private employers will be discussed. 

The employer roundtable follows a Commission Meeting on the topic held in October 2005 and the issuance of a fact sheet on “Obtaining and Using Employee Medical Information as Part of Emergency Evacuation Procedures.”  Information about the EEOC’s prior meeting on emergency preparedness for persons with disabilities, including a full transcript, can be found on the agency’s web site at http://www.eeoc.gov/abouteeoc/meetings/10-25-05/index.html.  The fact sheet is available at http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/evacuation.html.

The EEOC is responsible for enforcing the nation’s laws prohibiting discrimination in employment based on race, color, sex (including sexual harassment and pregnancy), religion, national origin, age, disability, and retaliation.  As part of that mission, the EEOC enforces Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits private employers, state and local governments, employment agencies and labor unions from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities in job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, job training, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.  Further information about the Commission, including other federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination, is available on its web site at  www.eeoc.gov.