leadership for the employment of americans with disabilities

Real Solutions for Real Needs

Leadership for the Employment of Americans with Disabilities

Jeanette Ayala-Rivers, MHRM, MBA


Employees with Targeted Disabilities in the Federal Work Force

Source: EEOC Federal Sector Statistics

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Federal Sector Statistics• 2.6 million federal employees

• 57.0% were men• 43.0% were women• 66.2% were White • 18.4% were Black or African American• 8.0% were Hispanic or Latino• 6.0% were Asian• 0.2% were Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander• 2.0% were American Indian/Alaska Native• 0.1% were Persons of Two or More Races

• 0.94% were Individuals with Targeted Disabilities


Federal Sector Statistics• From FY 1997 to FY 2006, total federal workforce

increased by 135,732 employees, a net increase of 5.48%.

• During this same ten year period, the number of employees with targeted disabilities decreased from 28,671 to 24,442, a net decrease of -14.75%.

• In other words, over the last decade the government grew by 5½% overall, but we still lost almost 15% of all people with severe disabilities.


Federal Sector Statistics

FY06 Average Grade: All federal employees 10.00 Individuals with Tar. Disabilities 8.50

FY05 Average Pay Grade Level (remained in FY06):All federal employees 9.98 Individuals with Tar. Disabilities 8.43

FY06 Senior Executive Service (SES)Total SES employees 20,070 SES with Tar. Disabilities 93

(0.46%)


Ranking Cabinet Level Agencies By PWTD


EEOC’s LEAD Initiative• Increase the awareness of hiring officials

about the declining numbers of people with disabilities in federal employment workforce planning and development

• Reverse the trend of decreasing participation in federal employment diversity and disability goals

• Educate federal hiring officials about how to use special hiring authorities to bring people with disabilities on board, particularly those with severe disabilities

• Educate applicants with severe disabilities about how to apply using the special hiring authorities available

• Provide information and resources on reasonable accommodation


LEAD Activities

So what steps can you take to make a difference?


Recruitment and Placement• Affirmative Program Plans: EEO MD-715• USA Jobs: www.usajobs.opm.gov/• Disability Network: Advocacy groups, Independent Living

Centers• State Rehabilitation Services • Employer Assistance Referral Network (EARN)• Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) • Veterans’ Hiring Preferences• Schedule A Hiring Authority


Federal Hiring for Individuals with Disabilities• Using the Schedule A hiring authority, found at 5

CFR 213.3102(u), federal managers can hire qualified persons with mental retardation, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities

• without the typical recruitment headaches• without posting and publicizing the position• without going through the certification process • without rating candidates


Schedule A Hiring AuthoritySo how does it work?

Step 1: When managers have an open position, make contact with the Selective Placement Coordinator (SPC) or Disability Program Manager (DPM) in your agency;

Step 2: Discuss with the SPC/DPM what competencies the ideal candidate should posses, thinking critically about the essential functions of the position;

Step 3: Get candidates - A skilled SPC/DPM will be able to produce potential candidates. The number of applicants available will vary greatly, depending on the level of specialty required by the job.


Schedule A Hiring Authority

Step 4: Make a selection – The hiring official can now review the resumes and references of qualified, Schedule A eligible applicants, and make a selection! Interviews can be held to aid in making a selection decision, but it is not required.

Step 5: Make an offer – Relay selection to appropriate persons within HR who issue offers on behalf of agency (may be handled through SPC/DPM).

Step 6: Once an offer has been accepted, a start date may be established to bring the candidate on board.

That’s It!


LEAD Goal

2% by 2010 for ALL AGENCIES!


Reasonable Accommodations

• Making facilities accessible• Job restructuring• Modified work hours or location• Provide qualified readers and interpreters• Orientation: new employee, co-worker, workplace• Job re-assignment (the accommodation of last resort)• Acquisition or modification of equipment or

assistive devices

• Formal reasonable accommodation procedures


CAP Overview • CAP was established in 1990 as DoD’s centrally

funded program to provide accommodations• Expanded by Congress in 2000 to support other

Federal agencies

• Partnerships with 65 Federal agencies • Over 61,000 accommodations since inception• CAP Mission: To provide assistive technology and

accommodations to ensure people with disabilities have equal access to the information environment and opportunities in the Department of Defense and throughout the Federal government


CAP Services• Provide assistive technology and training• Conduct needs assessments and technology

demonstrations• Provide installation and integration• Provide training on disability management and on

creating an accessible environment• Assist in the recruitment, placement, promotion and

retention of people with disabilities and Wounded Service Members


• Computer input devices• Alternative keyboards, input devices and voice recognition software

• Computer output devices• Screen readers, magnification software, Braille terminal

• Telecommunication devices• PC based TTY• Video communication devices• Assistive listening devices• Personal amplification devices

• Captioning services

Assistive Technology and Services


Needs Assessments / Tech DemoCAP Technology Evaluation Center (CAPTEC) • Assist individuals and

supervisors in choosing appropriate computer and electronic accommodations

• Wide variety of assistive technology

• VTC capability• Tours

• Located in the Pentagon (2A259)• 703-693-5160 (V)• 703-693-6189 (TTY)


Employment Lifecycle

• Recruitment• Placement• Promotion• Retention

Accommodation


Workforce Recruitment Program• Co-sponsored by the Department of

Labor and Department of Defense• Participation from Federal

agencies and the private sector

• Wide range of occupations• Diverse workforce• CAP covers the cost of accommodations

for all WRP students participating in any Federal agency

• www.wrp.gov


Retention

• Aging Workforce • Healthy Work Practices Program• Workers’ Compensation• Telework• Wounded Service Members


Retention - Workers’ Compensation• Assist Workers’ Compensation claimants who obtain

“on the job” injuries that result in an accepted claim in their return-to-work process• Work with Workers’ Compensation officials to

evaluate needs of employees• Conduct CAP accommodation needs assessments• Provide appropriate assistive technology or related

accommodations• Review Telework options


Retention - Telework• Target groups

• Recipients of Workers’ Compensation payments• Persons with Disabilities

• As a form of reasonable accommodation• To increase productivity and/or improve

accessibility issues• Persons who may be subjected to disability retirement

• Equipment • Assistive technology• Home office equipment (computer hardware and

software, fax machine, printer)• Trends

• Teleworkers with disabilities increased by 120% from FY02 to FY03


• CAP’s Wounded Service Members Initiative:• Provide assistive technology to WSMs to use in future

employment and vocational settings• Public Law 109-364: Retention of AT after separation

from active service• Provide services and resources for:

• Employment internships• Public & private sector initiatives • Partnership programs

– Military Severely Injured Center: www.militaryonesource.com

– VA Seamless Transition: www.seamlesstransition.va.gov

– DOL REALifelines: www.dol.gov/vets/programs/Real-life/main.htm

From Deployment to Employment

http://www.militaryonesource.com/

http://www.seamlesstransition.va.gov/

http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/Real-life/main.htm


Next Steps• Agency Disability Program Managers• Department of Labor

• Job Accommodation Network www.jan.wvu.edu • DisabilityInfo.Gov www.disabilityinfo.gov

• EEOC’s LEAD Initiative www.eeoc.gov/lead• Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program

www.tricare.mil/cap

• EEOC Management Directive 715 January 31, 2008

http://www.jan.wvu.edu/

http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/

http://www.eeoc.gov/lead

http://www.tricare.mil/cap


2 % by 2010for ALL AGENCIES!

leadership for the employment of americans with disabilities

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