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Section 508 Training

Overview of Disabilities, Accessibility, and Section 508

A Changing Workforce

People with disabilities are an underutilized labor pool in a time when the federal government is competing with private industry for the best people. Moreover, trends in workforce demographics demonstrate that the average age of current employees is increasing. With an older workforce comes a greater percentage of employees who have some form of disability. Since the retirement rate of the current workforce is also high, you may need to fill vacant positions with new employees from alternative labor pools.

To attract and retain the best qualified employees, a work environment must demonstrate a welcoming atmosphere for people with disabilities. The practical application of this is to create an inclusive workspace that is free of physical barriers (Sections 501 & 504) as well as technological barriers (Section 508.)

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