Currently, over 209,284 people with disabilities, seven
percent of the total federal civilian workforce, work for the federal government.
Opportunities exist at all levels of government and in hundreds of occupations. Total
disabled federal employment has remained constant at seven percent since 1980. Executive
Order 13078 and the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) has increase awareness of hiring
options by federal managers. These initiatives should expand total disabled employment
opportunities throughout government. All agencies are required by law to develop outreach
efforts to identify qualified candidates to meet agency workforce diversity goals.
This section explains the various hiring options for people with disabilities. Individuals
seeking appointments with the federal government must be proactive and begin networking
with local agencies, contacting listed resources, and aggressively seeking out all
available federal employment opportunities. Agencies have direct hire authority for
Schedule A appointments presented in this section.
The Book of U.S. Government Jobs describes the entire federal employment process and includes easy to
use checklists with sample applications and over 1,000 references. Recommended by
LIBRARY JOURNAL.
Agency personnel offices work with State vocational rehabilitation agencies (SVRAs), the
Department of Veterans Affairs, colleges and universities (e.g., Gallaudet University) and
other various organizations to locate and identify qualified people with disabilities. In
addition, many Federal employers participate in focused job fairs and campus recruitment
visits to identify qualified people with disabilities. Hiring may be accomplished through
the competitive hiring process or, if the qualifications are met, through the use of
excepted service appointment authorities.
Federal employers may use a variety of hiring options to
bring people with disabilities into their workforce. Descriptions of key options are
listed below.
Competitive Appointments
Most Federal employees obtain jobs competitively. Applicants
apply directly to the hiring departments and agencies for most positions. Federal
employers use a variety of assessment tools in evaluating applicants and conducting
hiring. If passing a written test is required, testing accommodations are available, if
requested. Once this process is completed, an agency may select from a list of qualified
applicants.
You can use http://Federaljobs.net
to research job options and to locate information on many agencies including direct links
to agency recruitment web sites and telephone contact information. OPM has developed USAJOBS
which provides worldwide job vacancy information, employment information fact sheets, job
applications and forms, and has on-line resume development and electronic transmission
capabilities. In many instances, job seekers can apply for positions on-line. USAJOBS
is available to job seekers in a variety of formats, ensuring access for customers with
differing physical and technological capabilities. It is convenient, user friendly,
accessible through the computer or telephone and available 24 hours-a-day, seven
days-a-week. The official web site for Federal jobs and employment information may be
accessed at http://www.usajobs.opm.gov .
An interactive voice response telephone system can be reached at (912) 757-3000 or TDD
(912) 744-2299 or at 17 OPM Service Centers located throughout the country (local numbers
listed in the blue pages).
Time-limited Appointments
An agency may fill a position using a temporary or term
appointment when the need for an employee’s services is not permanent. Temporary
appointments are made not to exceed one year, with one 1-year extension. The work must not
be permanent in nature. In contrast, term appointments are made for a period of more than
one year but not to exceed four years.
Term appointments are appropriate when there is project work,
extraordinary workload, scheduled abolishment, reorganization, contracting out of the
function, uncertainty of future funding, or the need to maintain permanent positions for
placement of employees who would otherwise be displaced from other parts of the
organization.
Student Employment Programs
Review the Student Educational
Employment Programs page on this service for student employment options.
Appointment Under Special Authorities
The Federal Government’s hiring options include excepted
service special appointing authorities for people with disabilities. Federal employers are
authorized to use these authorities when considering certain people with disabilities
(those who have severe physical, cognitive, or psychiatric disabilities or who have a
history of or who are regarded as having such disabilities). The authorities provide a
unique opportunity to demonstrate the potential to successfully perform the essential
duties of a position with or without reasonable accommodation in the workplace.
- Schedule A, 5 CFR 213.3102(t) for Hiring People with Mental
Retardation. This authority is used to appoint persons with cognitive disabilities
(mental retardation) who meet the eligibility requirements. Upon completion of 2 years of
satisfactory performance the employee may qualify for conversion to the competitive
service.
- Schedule A, 5 CFR 213.3102(u) for Hiring People With Severe
Physical Disabilities. This authority is used to appoint persons with severe physical
disabilities who: (1) under a temporary appointment have demonstrated their ability to
perform duties satisfactorily; or (2) have been certified by a counselor from a State
vocational rehabilitation agency (SVRA) or the Department of Veterans Affair’s
Vocational Rehabilitation Office as likely to succeed in performance of duties. Upon
completion of two years of satisfactory service under this authority, the employee may
qualify for conversion to the competitive service.
- Schedule B, 5 CFR 213.3202(k) for Hiring People Who Have
Recovered from Mental Illness. This authority permits appointments at Grades GS-15 and
below when filled by individuals who: (1) are placed at a severe disadvantage in obtaining
employment because of a psychiatric disability evidenced by hospitalization or outpatient
treatment and have had a significant period of substantially disrupted employment because
of the disability; and (2) are certified to a specific position by a State vocational
rehabilitation counselor or a Department of Veterans Affairs counseling psychologist (or
psychiatrist) who indicates that they meet the severe disadvantage criteria stated above,
that they are capable of functioning in the position to which they will be appointed, and
that any residual disability is not job related. Employment under this authority may not
exceed two years following each significant period of mental illness.
In addition, Federal employers can use the following hiring
authorities to provide assistance to employees with disabilities:
- Schedule A, 5 CFR 213.3102(ll) for Hiring Readers
Interpreters, and Other Personal Assistants. This authority permits appointments of
readers, interpreters, and personal assistants for employees with severe disabilities when
filled on a full-time, part-time, or intermittent basis. Upon completion of at least one
year of satisfactory service under this authority, the employee may qualify for conversion
to the competitive service.
An individual who has a physical disability is considered to
have met OPM qualification standards for either a temporary competitive service
appointment or an excepted service Schedule A appointment when an appropriate
certification is received from a State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (SVRA) or the
Department of Veterans Affairs. The certification is prepared by a counselor on the basis
of job-site inspection, analysis of job tasks, and evaluation of the proposed
appointee’s abilities and disabilities. The certification must state that in the
counselor’s judgement the proposed appointee is able to perform the duties of the
position and is physically qualified to do the work safely. The certification must be
supported by a medical report and a narrative statement documenting the counselor’s
conclusions. Factors to be discussed include training, education, work history,
modification of job or worksite if needed, and limitations of the proposed appointee.
The certification required for an excepted service Schedule A
appointment of an individual who is mentally retarded need only state that the individual
has the ability to perform the duties of the position; is physically able to do the job
safely; and can maintain himself or herself in the work environment. No medical report is
required.
The certification required for appointment of individuals
with psychiatric disabilities under an excepted Schedule B appointment must include
documentation of a history of mental illness which includes periods of hospitalization or
outpatient treatment within the previous two years; a statement by a psychologist or
psychiatrist as to the individual’s capability to function in the work setting; and a
statement indicating that the individual is currently unemployed or has had a significant
period of substantially disrupted employment within the previous two years.
Any of these certificates must be maintained in a separate,
confidential folder, rather than in the person's official personnel folder (OPF). This
material is not to be included or placed into the individual’s OPF or Employee
Medical Folder.
A good number of people with disabilities start their federal career in the excepted
Service while most federal jobs are in the Competitive Service. Congress excepted certain
jobs and groups from the Competitive Service. In the competitive service individuals must
compete for positions through examination. The end result is that individuals are placed
on a competitive register in rank order of their rating. Agencies then can select from the
top three candidates on the list when vacancies arise.
Complete information on competitive verses excepted appointments are presented in "The Book of U.S. Government Jobs."
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Percent or More Disabled Veterans. Federal employers may give a noncompetitive
temporary appointment of more than 60 days (see 5 CFR 316.302(b)(4)) or a term appointment
(see 5 CFR 316.402(b)(4)) to a veteran:
retired from active military service with a disability rating
of 30 percent or more; or
rated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) within the
preceding year as having a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more.
There is no grade level limitation for this authority, but
the appointee must meet all qualification requirements, including any written test
requirement. Reasonable accommodations must be provided for any written test.
The agency may convert the employee, without a break in
service, to a career or career-conditional appointment at any time during the
employee’s temporary or term appointment.
Disabled Veterans Enrolled in VA Training Programs, 5 CFR
315.604. Disabled veterans who are eligible for training under the Department of
Veterans Affairs’ (VA) vocational rehabilitation program may enroll for training or
work experience at an agency under the terms of an agreement between the agency and VA.
The veteran is not a Federal employee for most purposes while enrolled in the program, but
is a beneficiary of the VA. The training is tailored to individual needs and goals so
there is no set length. If the training is intended to prepare the individual for eventual
appointment in the agency rather than just work experience, the agency must insure that
the training will enable the veteran to meet qualification requirements for the position.
Upon successful completion, the VA and the host agency give
the veteran a Certificate of Training showing the occupational series and grade level of
the position for which he or she has been trained. The Certificate of Training allows any
agency to appoint the veteran noncompetitively under a status quo appointment which may be
converted to career or career-conditional at any time.
When appropriate, OPM uses special examination (testing) procedures for applicants who are
physically handicapped to assure that their abilities are properly and fairly assessed.
Special testing arrangements are determined on an individual basis depending on the
applicant's disability. For example: readers, examinations in Braille, tape, or large
print for visually impaired competitors; and interpreters for test instructions and
modifications of parts of tests for hearing impaired competitors.
Accommodations on the job
When federal agencies hire a person with disabilities, efforts are made to accommodate the
individual to remove or modify barriers to their ability to effectively perform the
essential duties of the position. Agencies may, for example: (1) provide interpreter
service for the hearing impaired, (2) use readers for the visually impaired, (3) modify
job duties, (4) restructure work sites, (5) alter work schedules, and (6) obtain special
equipment or furniture.
The common resources listed in "The Book Of U.S. Government
Jobs" provides resources that can be used to locate federal job announcements for
people with disabilities. After reviewing the listed resources in this book refer to
Appendix D of this same book for a complete list of federal occupations. A number of the
periodicals and directories listed in common resources are available at libraries. Others,
such as Career Woman, are free to women within two years of graduation. Many newsletter
and periodical publishers will send complimentary review copies of their publications upon
request.
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Government Jobs
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Resource headings include:
● Job Openings
● Placement Services
● Directories, and
● General Information
Job Openings include:
● Publications With Job Ads
● Job Hotlines, and
● Internet Web Sites
The general information
section lists:
● Related Books
● Pamphlets, brochures, and
● Computer Software.
All job sources are listed alphabetically. For additional resources refer to Chapter
Three's listings.
Key Periodicals & Newspapers with Federal Job Ads
Sample "publication with job ads" Listing from "The Book of U.S.
Government Jobs:"
Periodicals & Newspapers with Federal Job Ads
ABILITY Magazine - Jobs Information Business Service,
1001 West 17th St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; 949-854-8700. ABILITY Magazine provides
information on new technologies, the "Americans with Disability Act", travel and
leisure, employment opportunities for people with disabilities, human interest stories,
national and local resource centers and more. ABILITY Magazine helps remove the
misunderstandings and erase the stereotypes that surround disability issues. Call or visit
their web site for subscription rates. Ability also offers an electronic classified
system, JobAccess, which allows employers to recruit qualified individuals with
disabilities. The goal of JobAccess is to enable people with disabilities to
enhance their professional lives by providing a dedicated system for finding employment.
People with disabilities can locate viable employment opportunities either through their
print magazine or visit their excellent internet web site at http://www.jobaccess.org/.
Associations & Organizations
The following sample list of associations and
organizations offer numerous services to people with physical or mental impairments. The
complete list is printed in the all new 7th edition of "The Book of
U.S. Government Jobs:". Many offer job placement
services, provide on-site accessibility surveys, job analysis and offer advice and support
to the group represented. Contact individual listings for details of services provided.
American Cancer Society - 1-800-ACS-2345;
http://www.cancer . Refers employers to organizations offering help in recruiting qualified
individuals with disabilities, and community programs offering consultation and technical
assistance to cancer patients, survivors, and their families. Publishes information on the
employment of cancer patients and survivors.
American Council of the Blind - 1155 15th
St., N.W., Ste. 720, Washington, D.C. 20005; 202-467-5081 or 800-424-8666,
http://www.acb.org/ . Provides information on topics affecting the employment of
individuals who are blind, including job seeking strategies, job accommodations,
electronic aids, and employment discrimination. Provides information on job openings for
individuals who are blind and visually impaired. Offers free legal assistance in
employment discrimination cases.
disABLEDperson, Inc
host of http://www.disABLEDperson.com.
If you have a disability, this website will assist you in many areas.
This web portal is all inclusive with links
to topics including job boards, learning disability, social security
disability, the American with Disability Act, developmental disability,
physical disability, emotional disability, mental disability, disabled
veterans, disabled women and more. Food and Diet are also an important part
of this web portal with updated information on nutrition, metabolism, diet
and weight loss.
Related OPM Guides/Reports
http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/b1h.htm People With Disabilities in the Federal Government, An Employment
Guide published by OPM October 1999. This comprehensive 53 page guide can be downloaded
from OPM. The guide is intended to help Federal employers and human resource personnel
understand issues and programs aimed at improving the employment of people with
disabilities. Highly recommended.
Over 66 common job sources specifically for
people with disabilities, including association listings, are provided in
" The Book of U.S. Government Jobs"
Government Jobs / Federal Jobs / Post
Office Jobs
Disabled Job Opportunities
