Disabilities information Web site gets Web 2.0 upgrade

Labor Department officials added social media tools to a new version of the DisabilityInfo.gov Web site, which it relaunched today under the new name Disability.gov, according to agency officials.

The Web site provides information about programs and services for people with disabilities, their families, veterans, employers, educators and caregivers, according to the Labor Department.

The social media features added to the Web site are designed to encourage interaction and feedback from visitors to the Web site, according to the Labor Department. Personalized news and online discussions are also available on the Web site. They include Twitter, a blog, social networking related to job searches and Really Simply Syndication feeds.

The department renamed and redesigned the site in conjunction with the 19th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The new Web site integrates content from 22 federal agencies.

The site is organized into 10 subject areas: benefits, civil rights, community life, education, emergency preparedness, employment, health, housing, technology and transportation. Each category includes information on federal and state government programs and services, news and events, grants and funding opportunities, and more, according to the Labor Department.