Final rules published February 22 by OPM and effective March 24 expand the situations in which agencies may hire applicants with "targeted" disabilities under Schedule A authority.
That authority may be used to hire applicants with certain severe physical, intellectual or emotional disabilities or a history of having such disabilities or who are perceived as having such disabilities, as established by medical documentation provided by the individual or a disability certification. Eligible persons may be appointed without public notice and an agency may provide reasonable accommodations to help the individual perform the job.
The rules drop the requirement have a "certification of job readiness" which typically was a formal written document from a medical professional, vocational rehabilitation specialist or disability benefit agency that the person can be reasonably expected to perform in a particular work environment. Instead, a person now can be hired under that authority on a determination that the applicant is likely to succeed in performing the duties of the position, based on relevant employment, educational or other experience.
Those with so-called "targeted" disabilities make up about 1 percent of the total federal workforce, and about a tenth of those with disabilities.
