In 1947, Congress passed a resolution promoting the employment of people with disabilities. This first national observance for persons with disabilities was developed in response to veterans returning home from World War II who had sustained war injuries that proved to be barriers to their employment. President Harry S Truman took this initiative one step further and established, by Executive Order, the first President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped.

The President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped has since changed its name to Office on Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). ODEP continues today with more than 200 members around the country and an office and staff located in Washington D.C. The primary function of the ODEP is to promote the abilities of people with disabilities and to encourage the employment of people with disabilities.

After the ODEP was formed, governors around the country began forming special state committees to promote the employment of people with disabilities. In 1949, Michigan Governor G. Mennen Williams appointed the first Michigan Governor's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped. This Committee continued under Executive Order until 1968 when Public Act 11 formally established the Committee under state law. At that time, the office and staff of the Committee were placed in the state's vocational rehabilitation agency, Michigan Department of Education.

The Governor's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped was transferred to the Michigan Department of Labor in 1972, although it continued to be funded by Michigan Rehabilitation Services. In 1978 the name was changed to the Michigan Commission on Handicapper Concerns and changed again in 1995 to the Michigan Commission on Disability Concerns. By Executive Order #1996-2, the Commission was transferred to the Family Independence Agency. Then, in 2003, Executive Order 2003-18 transferred the Commission to the newly created Departmentof Labor & Economic Development. The Michigan Commission on Disability Concerns remains the only state agency with the statutory responsibility to advocate on behalf of all people with disabilities in Michigan.

Today, the Commission is comprised of twenty-one commissioners, each appointed by the Governor for a three-year term. Commissioners represent a variety of disability characteristics and come from all geographic regions of the state. The Governor, by law, designates the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Commission. The Commission's Executive Director and staff are employees of the Department of Labor & Economic Development and are appointed through the Civil Service process.

The Commission staff provide a variety of education and advocacy services, technical assistance for both federal and state disability civil rights laws, as well as a statewide information and referral service on a wide range of disability issues. The Division on Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DODHH), located within the Commission, has three primary functions. The DODHH serves as an advocate for the deaf and hard of hearing population of the state, offers state qualification of interpreters, and provides a variety of technical assistance services.

Services of the Michigan Commission on Disability Concerns are available to all state residents and can be obtained by calling a 517-335-6004 (Voice or TTY) or toll free 1-877-499-6232 (Voice or TTY).