Supporter Press Release Template

If you’ve joined our movement, tell the world! Simply cut and paste the following press release language and adapt it for your organization’s own use.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT:
[Your name]
[Your phone number]
[Your e-mail address]

[Your Organization] Announces Participation in the
Campaign for Disability Employment

[Your Organization] Expresses Commitment to Promoting Positive
Employment Outcomes for People with Disabilities

City, Date – Today, [your organization] announced its support for the Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE), a national public education movement that promotes the hiring, retention and advancement of people with disabilities in America’s workforce.

The CDE’s multi-faceted campaign features a series of award-winning public service announcements (PSAs) and coordinating media assets, all designed to promote positive employment outcomes for people with disabilities. Its products and positive messages are encouraging businesses and others to recognize the value that individuals with disabilities bring to the workplace, as well as the dividend to be realized by fully including them at work.

In support of the Campaign, [your organization] will promote the advocacy website, WhatCanYouDoCampaign.org, which features a suite of grassroots tools and tangible ideas for supporting the Campaign’s goals, as well as five video PSAs that challenge assumptions about people with disabilities and employment. The award-winning “I Can” PSA features real people with disabilities expressing what they “can do” on the job when given the opportunity. Its sequel PSA, “Because,” promotes the message that youth with disabilities should grow up expecting to work and succeed. “Who I Am” reminds us to see one another for who we are and what we can contribute, while “Working Works” explores the many reasons people work, including after injury or illness. The CDE’s latest PSA, “Mental Health at Work: What Can I Do?,” addresses the timely topic of workplace mental and the roles we all can play in promoting workplace wellness.

Specifically, [your organization] will be [insert details about specific tactics and activities you will be doing in support of the Campaign; e.g., hosting educational events, distributing educational materials, playing the PSAs, etc.]

“We are thrilled that so many organizations have joined us in this important campaign,” said Jennifer Sheehy, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, which sponsors the CDE. “Together, we can drive positive change by illustrating that at work, it’s what people can do that matters.”

About the Campaign for Disability Employment
Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, the Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE) promotes positive employment outcomes for people with disabilities by encouraging employers, and others, to recognize the value and talent people with disabilities bring to America’s workplaces. As the force behind the national public outreach initiative, “What can YOU do?,” the CDE has distributed five powerful public service announcements, “I Can,” “Because,” “Who I Am,” “Working Works” and “Mental Health at Work: What Can I Do?” which all aim to showcase supportive, inclusive workplaces for all workers. Launched in 2009, the Campaign is a collaborative effort among ODEP and the following disability and business organizations: the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD); Disability:IN; the Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA); the Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN); the Job Accommodation Network (JAN); the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC); the National Organization on Disability (NOD); the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM); Special Olympics (SO); and The Viscardi Center. Numerous other supporters are actively promoting the CDE message. To learn more, visit WhatCanYouDoCampaign.org.

# # #