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Oregon Employment First When people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) work in their communities, everyone succeeds.

Oregon Employment First, an Oregon Department of Human Services' initiative, promotes community jobs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With the right job and supports, everyone can work. I Work We Succeed is part of the outreach efforts by Oregon’s Employment First initiative to promote the benefits of paid, integrated work in community jobs for people with I/DD.

October is here - and so is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)! More than one in four adults in the ...
10/01/2026

October is here - and so is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)! More than one in four adults in the U.S. have a disability, and many are not apparent. That means your workplace is likely already benefiting from the creativity, adaptability, and problem-solving strengths employees with disabilities bring - whether you realize it or not.

NDEAM is the perfect time to reflect on how your business or organization is supporting employees of all abilities and how disability-friendly practices can strengthen your workforce year-round: https://apps.oregon.gov/oregon-newsroom/OR/ODHS/Posts/Post/blog-four-ways-to-support-all-abilities-in-your-workplace

09/28/2026

Save the dates! October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and the Oregon Department of Human Services, Oregon Commission for the Blind and Oregon Department of Education have organized a webinar series to educate the community about disability employment services and celebrate the many workplace successes.

Join us for:

- Oct. 6: Lunch and Learn for Business: Celebrating talent and transforming workplaces

- Oct. 13: Oregon as a Model Employer: Promoting employment and career advancement for people with disabilities in state and local government

- Oct. 20: What is ableism and why it matters in the workplace

- Oct. 27: Technology in employment

- Nov. 3: Peer2Peer: An award-winning employment mentorship program for students with disabilities

Learn more and get links to the sessions here: https://apps.oregon.gov/oregon-newsroom/OR/ODHS/Posts/Post/blog-save-the-date-for-national-disability-employment-awareness-month-webinars

09/11/2026

On Wednesday, Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) Director Liesl Wendt spoke before the Oregon Legislature about recent federal actions affecting how the U.S. Department of Justice interprets and enforces disability rights. Governor Tina Kotek also recently joined 17 other governors in sending a letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche urging the federal government to continue its longstanding support for disability rights and community-based services.

We want to be absolutely clear: Oregon remains committed to upholding the vision of the Olmstead decision and ensuring people with disabilities can live, work and participate in their communities with the supports they need.

Oregon has been working toward the goals set up by the Olmstead decision for decades. From Oregon Project Independence to Oregon Employment First and home and community-based services, we continue to work on expanding opportunities for people with disabilities to live with greater choice and independence.

Even though the federal Department of Justice will no longer rely on its previous Olmstead guidance, Oregon’s commitment remains unchanged:

- The Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 remain law.
- The Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision still stands.
- Federal regulations supporting integrated services remain in place.
- Medicaid home and community-based services rules remain in place.
- Oregon’s Employment First law and policy still stand.

Read the governors' letter here: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-sends-letter-urging-trump-administration-not-retreat-federal-disability-law

08/20/2026

UPDATE: The office has reopened. Thank you for your patience!

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The ODHS Vocational Rehabilitation office at 305 NE 102nd Ave in Portland is closing for the rest of the day today, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, due to a construction issue. We will update this post when the office reopens.

If you need help while we wait for the office to reopen, consider one of these options:

- Call the Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC of Oregon) at 1-855-673-2372 or visit https://adrcoforegon.org

- Call the Oregon SAFEline (855-503-7233) to report suspected abuse, neglect or maltreatment.

- Visit https://benefits.oregon.gov/, use the Oregon ONE Mobile app, or call the ONE Customer Service Center (800-699-9075) to manage your medical, food, cash and child care benefits.

08/18/2026

UPDATE: The office has reopened. Thank you for your patience!

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The ODHS office at 18 Shelton McMurphey Blvd in Eugene is closing immediately today, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, due to a nearby wildfire. We will update this post when the office reopens.

If you need help while the office is closed, consider one of these options:

- Call the Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC of Oregon) at 1-855-673-2372 or visit https://adrcoforegon.org

- Call the Oregon SAFEline (855-503-7233) to report suspected abuse, neglect or maltreatment.

- Visit https://benefits.oregon.gov/, use the Oregon ONE Mobile app, or call the ONE Customer Service Center (800-699-9075) to manage your medical, food, cash and child care benefits.

08/17/2026

Did you miss out on Oregon's webinar series celebrating the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)? Were you able to attend and wish you could relive the fun? We're excited to announce that recordings and materials from all four sessions are now available online: https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/providers-partners/Pages/ada-celebration.aspx #2026

This year's sessions included:
- Exploring cross-disability experiences and support needs
- Building inclusive and accessible emergency management systems
- ADA: How far we've come and what comes next
- Understanding DOJ's ruling on digital accessibility

Recordings from 2024 and 2025's celebrations are also on this webpage.

Thank you to everyone who attended! We're looking forward to celebrating the 37th anniversary with you in 2027!

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Salem, OR

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+15039455811

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