NOD, Corporate Partners Convene Disability Organizations from Across the Country for a Special Meeting with U.S. Labor Secretary Walsh

Feb 15, 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 15, 2023) – Recently the National Organization on Disability (NOD) in partnership with corporate members of its Leadership Council, convened their Policy Roundtable for a special meeting with U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh to discuss employment issues critical to people with disabilities.

Comprised of the leading disability organizations from across the country, NOD’s Policy Roundtable members and corporate partners talked to Secretary Walsh and other Labor Department officials about phasing out 14(c) certificates, which allow employers to pay workers with disabilities a sub-minimum wage. The group also discussed enforcing the Section 503-rule change for federal contractors, which sets a 7% target for disability workforce representation.

On behalf of all participants, NOD’s leadership thanks Secretary Walsh for sharing his time with our Policy Roundtable members to discuss these critical issues regarding the fair and inclusive employment of Americans with disabilities.

We are grateful for the U.S. Department of Labor’s attention to and engagement with these policy and legislative concerns of the disability community.

The following national disability rights organizations attended the Policy Roundtable meeting:

• National Organization on Disability: Luke Visconti, NOD Board Chair and Founder, DiversityInc; Carol Glazer, President; Charles Catherine, Director, Corporate and Government Relations; Josef Pevsner, Senior Manager, Research & Innovation Programs; and Charlotte Ohl, Executive Assistant to the President.
• American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR):  Barbara Merrill, Chief Executive Officer ·
• Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE): Julie J. Christensen, LMSW, PhD, Executive Director
• Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD): Cindy Smith, Director of Public Policy
• Autism Society of America: Kim Musheno, Vice President, Public Policy
• National Association of the Deaf (NAD): Howard Rosenblum, Chief Executive Officer
• National Council on Independent Living (NCIL): Jessica Podesva, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy
• National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS): Bart Devon, Senior Director, Public Policy
• Ridge Policy Group: Mark Holman, Partner; Becky Wolfkiel, Director of Federal Affairs; Zaida Ricker, Senior Associate; and Charlie Moffat, Legislative Assistant
• Judith Heumann: Disability advocate

NOD Leadership Council members in attendance included:

• Charter Communications: Rhonda Nesmith Crichlow, Senior Vice President, Chief Diversity Officer; NOD Director
• The Coca-Cola Company: Jessica Zielke; Group Director Federal and Diplomatic Government Relation
• Elevance Health: Merrill Friedman, RVP, Inclusive Policy & Advocacy
• The Hershey Company: Alicia Petross; Chief Diversity Officer
• L’Oréal USA: Nicholas Iadevaio, Vice President Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Toyota North America: Javier Moreno, Chief of Staff, Office of the President & CEO

Federal officials in attendance included:

• Secretary Martin Walsh, U.S. Dept. of Labor
• Allison Zelman, Chief of Staff, U.S. Dept. of Labor
• John Towle, Deputy Chief of Staff, U.S. Dept. of Labor
• Peach Soltris, Counselor to the Secretary, U.S. Dept. of Labor
• Taryn Williams, Assistant Secretary for Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), U.S. Dept. of Labor
• Jenny Yang, Director of Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), U.S. Dept. of Labor
• Kristen Garcia, Chief of Staff for Wage and Hour Division (WHD), U.S. Dept. of Labor

In 2018, NOD spearheaded the Policy Roundtable, convening the leading the nation’s leading disability rights organizations to speak with a unified voice on issues critical to ensuring meaningful and equitable employment for the 57 million Americans with disabilities.