GovernmentExecutive.com

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Tuesday published a guide to help agencies identify opportunities to hire and promote individuals with disabilities.

The online guide responds to frequently asked questions about hiring flexibilities and legal requirements.

"The EEOC is doing everything it can to provide agencies with useful guidance on how to be the nation's model employer, providing equal opportunity to all Americans, including those with disabilities," said Naomi Earp, the commission's chairwoman.

The publication highlights special regulations that allow federal agencies to hire qualified individuals with severe disabilities without going through the usual competitive process.

The guide also outlines requirements for providing disabled job applicants and employees reasonable accommodations, and discusses how to handle accommodation issues when entering into relationships with other agencies or contractors.

In addition, the publication details the types of questions agencies can ask about an applicant's or employee's disability. And federal agencies can use it to determine how their obligations under the 1973 Rehabilitation Act relate to responsibilities under other federal laws.

The percentage of federal employees with targeted disabilities, which are severe physical or mental disabilities that historically have resulted in barriers to employment, has declined each year since reaching a peak of 1.24 percent in fiscal years 1993 and 1994. In fiscal 2007 it dropped to a 20-year low of 0.92 percent.

EEOC Commissioner Christine Griffin is leading an initiative to raise the portion of federal employees with disabilities to 2 percent by 2010.

"Even though the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 has long required federal agencies to engage in affirmative action to hire and advance individuals with disabilities, the federal government has failed to meet this challenge," Griffin said. "This question-and-answer guide will help agencies make concrete progress."

COMMENTS

• I was hired though the handicap program. Over 27 years service and now working at a GS-5 level. It’s sad that so many of us are locked into low pay grades and the good old boys club Still run the show the same as always. The laws are not worth the time and hard work it took the make them. If handicap programs worked as well as the “Good old boy club” I know there would be a lot of truly happy individuals. The NSPS system may just put all of us out in the street without and rights. I truly hope that theres a whole lot of good changes that happen real fast for all of us presently in the system, and for those hired after us. "The way it was designed to work." By the law! keith wingate Posted October 3, 2008 1:20 AM
• It is amazing to me that all these Veteran are having the same serious problems. I am a disable Viet Nam Vet who was exposed to agent orange,I used the GI Bill and got a B.S. degree in Technology from a University (not a computer mill),I got a few years of experience in private industry then DOD Solicited ME and offered me a GS-11 position and put in writing that I was being Groomed for a GS-13 position, that was over 25 years ago I have not received "1" promotion not one. I have been supervised by promoted clerks,non degreed off the street folks, relative that have no knowledge of the position they are getting, I have been DECRIMINATED against and apparently black listed. Why does the Government,EEOC,OPM etc. allow this to happen? none of these agency seem to honor the Governments policies,here DCMA's GS-14-15 runs this agency like it is their own mom and pop company, why is this being allowed? Why doesn't the so called investigations of these agencies bring these things out?,Why is there such unfair labor practices in the Defense Contracting Management Agencies? we work for the US GOVERNMENT for the betterment of our PEOPLE and Country!Right? Thank You for allowing me to speak Luther Stanton Luther Stanton Posted September 9, 2008 10:35 AM
• EEOC need to get involve and let force all OPM, federals and include DHS to hire more than 2% and more promotion for the disabled employees. Why do the federal agencies and DHS have the right to over pass disabled employees to a non-employees. This is so unfair and need to be investigate. When interview disabled employees get EEOC involve into this. Gov Posted August 29, 2008 4:38 PM