Federal agencies are making progress in implementing the
White House’s initiative launched in February 2001 to
encourage and aid the employment or re-employment of the
disabled, according to a Bush administration report titled
“The New Freedom Initiative: A Progress Report.” The
report cited activities in federal agencies including:
the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has issued
guidance on the Americans with Disabilities Act, including
information on how the ADA applies to particular disabilities
in the workplace, information and workshops for individuals
with disabilities seeking employment, and information to
help employers and employees determine whether working at
home is an appropriate form of reasonable accommodation under
the ADA; the Office of Personnel Management has produced a
videotape to promote the use of telework and has developed
e-Training modules aimed at federal employees and managers
OPM is analyzing for possible restructuring the excepted
service Schedule A appointment authority which is used when
competitive examining is not practicable and which can lead
to conversion to a competitive service appointment after a
period of satisfactory performance; briefings have been
held for agencies’ Selective Placement Program Coordinators
and other federal human resources professionals regarding
hiring flexibilities and the appointing authorities that
permit agencies to hire persons with disabilities;
the Department of Labor and other agencies have worked to
improve the capacity of community One-Stop Career Centers
to provide employment-related services to people with
disabilities; and
the Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission are each working to promote employer best
practices for the hiring and retention of qualified
individuals with disabilities.
