From the JFA Moderator:
See below a White House Blog about AAPD Board Member, Claudia Gordon. Gordon has been active with AAPD since winning the Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Award in 2002.
AAPD Board member Claudia Gordon speaks with AAPD staff member, Ginny Thornburgh, at the Justice For All Awards Event commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the ADA – July 21, 2010
From the White House (8.30.10):
Meet the Women of the Administration: Claudia Gordon
Posted by Maude Baggetto on August 30, 2010
The Council on Women and Girls is delighted to feature Claudia Gordon from the Department of Labor in our Meet the Women of the Administration series. Claudia is a Special Assistant to the Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). At OFCCP Claudia works on ensuring that contractors doing business with the Federal government do not discriminate and take affirmative action. To get to know about Claudia, her career, and her inspirations read the following Q and A with her.
…How did you become interested in working for the Federal government?
My interest in working for the Federal government was sparked while working as a Skadden Fellow and staff attorney at the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Law and Advocacy Center from 2000-2002. The NAD operates on a shoe-string budget and the law center staff fluctuates from two to four full time attorneys working tirelessly to keep pace with incoming discrimination claims and requests for technical assistance from among the 36 million deaf and hard of hearing individuals in America. It was there that I confronted the truth that passing legislation is one thing but actual implementation with enforcement is another. I felt that a job with the Federal government would more effectively allow me to affect the actual enforcement of laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, thereby alleviating the blatant discrimination that people with disabilities continue to face.
What inspired you to pursue your field of interest?
When I suddenly lost my ability to hear at the age of eight, I was taken out of school and kept at home to perform chores. Friends slowly disappeared and what was usually a cheerful hello was replaced by an awkward smile, curious stares and even outright ridicule. There were also those long road trips on the bumpy Jamaican roads to distant towns where healers would perform rituals in attempts to cure me. I thought I was the only deaf person in the world. I did not realize until years later that a woman who everyone in my town knew as “dummy,” and who children my age would incessantly harass with stone throwing, was deaf. Looking back, I wish I knew her real name. What I do know is that the life of this woman – ostracized as “dummy” – almost became my own but for my mother’s triumph in successfully bringing me to America by the time I was eleven years old.
By my junior year in high school, I made it known to all that I would go to law school and become an attorney. Many shrugged off my grand intention as wishful thinking. Some cited my deafness as an obstacle rendering it impractical if not impossible to pursue a law degree. Thanks to the values that were instilled in me during my formative years, I understood then that those voices of doubt neither dictated my worth nor my capacity. I want to contribute to a better society where there is more understanding and acceptance of people with disabilities and where the same opportunities are provided for all.
What keeps you motivated?
I am motivated by knowing that although progress is being made towards inclusion and access, there is still a great deal more work to be done. Also, mentoring youth and young adults with disabilities keeps me motivated. I have an innate desire to give back. It is uplifting when you are able to empower another and help someone discover a sense of self-worth and confidence in his or her abilities…
…Recently, what has been new and exciting about your work?
OFCCP recently published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking input from the public on ways to strengthen regulations for implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, which requires Federal contractors to take affirmative action to employ and to advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities. This is long overdue. Given the fact that nearly one in four American workers is employed by a company that receives Federal funds for contracted work, stronger Section 503 regulations, backed by real enforcement, will ensure that more people with disabilities have equal employment opportunity in the labor force. Typically, policy changes like this are submitted for public comment after they’ve been formulated. However, at OFCCP we are going to the public – particularly to leaders and grassroots advocates in the disability community – before we even craft the policy changes so that they can weigh in on our efforts and shape the laws that will directly impact their lives. I think it’s an exciting way for government to function and is in keeping with the high standards of inclusion, openness and transparency that the President has set for all of us...
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