TOPICS
TOPICS
New rules aim at easing hiring of people with disabilities
The Office of Personnel Management on Tuesday published new rules that will make it easier for federal agencies to hire people with disabilities.
The new rules, which update regulations stemming from a 1979 executive order, will allow agencies to hire nonveterans with a physical or mental handicap into the excepted service. Agencies will not be required to request any documentation of the disability. After two years, the disabled employees may be noncompetitively transferred to competitive service positions.
Other more generous hiring rules exist to help disabled veterans find civil service jobs.
Under the old rules, disabled applicants had to receive certification from either a Veterans Affairs Department or state vocational rehabilitation agency indicating that they had either a severe physical disability, mental retardation, or a psychiatric ailment. The VA or state agency also had to certify that the disabled person was likely to succeed in the job for which he or she was applying.
It was a "fairly onerous process to put anyone through," said Ronald Sanders, OPM associate director for strategic human resources policy, in a briefing with reporters Monday.
Under the new rules, agencies do not have to request documentation of a candidate's disability, but if they choose to do so, they can seek it from the Social Security Administration, which provides benefits to disabled Americans, or from a doctor, as well as the VA or state agencies.
The new rules stem from President Bush's New Freedom Initiative, announced in August 2002, which directed federal agencies to work together in establishing a Web site aimed at helping disabled Americans find jobs. OPM Director Kay Coles James then launched a review of federal government hiring policies and felt that agencies were not hiring enough disabled workers, Sanders said.
"Our sense is that the [disability hiring authority] is being underutilized," Sanders said. "The principal reason is it's just so difficult to get certified" as disabled under the old rules.
COMMENTS
- I am intersted in becoming a Federal employee. I do have a learning disability, but I am able to follow directions and I am willing to learn. I have completed some college courses and have clerical experience. Please provide the name and phone number of the coordinator in your agency who process applications for persons with disabilities. I have included my e-mail address above. Joslynn D. Olelewe Posted May 27, 2008 4:56 PM
- I can't believe other people have experienced the same runaround as I have with the "coordinators." You can be transferred to 5 different people who used to be the coordinator for a couple of months. No real effort is being made to hire the disabled Edna Posted February 8, 2008 3:25 PM
- I have been trying to work for the federal government for 2 years. I am well qualified for the vacancies I apply for. I feel as though if I apply under this Schedule A authority it works against me. I have written and called the various OPM departments and have yet to hear back. I am always getting the run around. Even on the OPM website which has a socalled contact person for the Schedule A, the contact is either outdated or the person who's name is on the list has zero idea as what to do or what that is. I am quite disappointed that they have these meetings and conferences stating how the government wants to help disabled people work for the government when it is FALSE. Tell you what I would not mind being that person in charge of this Schedule A appointing authority, I would get the job done. GovExec.com reader Posted September 12, 2005 11:30 PM
