Data on the available workforce of people with disabilities is vital to implementing policy initiatives, complying with affirmative action requirements, and evaluating the outcomes of programs designed to increase workforce participation among people with disabilities. This data is especially useful to employers with federal contracts, who may want to benchmark their efforts to attain a workforce which is comprised of 7% individuals with disabilities as outlined in the regulations under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.
This regulation requires employers with federal contracts or subcontracts that exceed $10,000 to take affirmative steps and refrain from discrimination when hiring, retaining, and promoting qualified individuals with disabilities. About Section 503
National and local disability prevalence rates of disability among working age people (ages 21 - 64) help employers benchmark their efforts to include people with disabilities in their workforce against the prevalence of the available workforce.