A recent OPM report on the government’s record of hiring of the disabled showed that through fiscal 2011, total permanent employment for people with disabilities had increased from 187,313 in 2010 to 204,189, an increase from 10.7 to 11 percent, while new hires who were people with disabilities totaled 18,738, representing an increase from 10.3 percent in 2010 to 14.7 percent. Following is a summary.
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 Employment of People with Disabilities in the Federal Executive Branch Report is submitted in accordance with Executive Order (E.O.) 13548 on Increasing Federal Employment of Individuals with Disabilities.
Implementing E.O. 13548
Since the signing of E.O. 13548, each Federal agency has submitted a Disability Action Plan outlining goals and strategies to implement the E.O. Using data collected from the Standard Form (SF) 256, each agency had to identify populations of people with disabilities for outreach and recruitment. The White House, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCO) Council, the Department of Labor (DOL), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) are working closely with designated senior-level agency officials to implement the Disability Action Plans. OPM, in collaboration with the White House, OMB, DOL, and EEOC, has also issued model strategies to Federal agencies on hiring and retaining people with disabilities/targeted disabilities.
Additionally, OPM has partnered with a private consulting service to establish and maintain a list of candidates with disabilities who are eligible to be hired through the Schedule A hiring appointment. This service is provided for free to all Federal agencies. The OPM Shared List of People with Disabilities (the Shared List) contains 774 candidates hosted online on the MAX Federal Community. Since established, 101 people with disabilities have been offered jobs and 84 people with disabilities have been hired through the Shared List in positions ranging from the GS-3 to GS-14 grade levels.
Over 2,000 Federal employees from more than 56 agencies have been trained on recruitment techniques, the Schedule A excepted appointing authority to hire people with disabilities, reasonable accommodation, the Department of Defense’s Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP), and on helping employees who become ill or injured on the job return to work. OPM will continue to provide trainings in a variety of mediums. Specifically, OPM will be providing mandatory online trainings through HR University for hiring managers and human resources personnel.
OPM Initiatives
E.O. 13548 is not an isolated effort but works in coordination with E.O. 13518 on Employment of Veterans in the Federal Government issued on November 9th, 2009; Presidential Memorandum on The Presidential POWER Initiative: Protecting Our Workers and Ensuring Reemployment issued on July 19th, 2010; and E.O. 13583 on Establishing a Coordinated Government-wide Initiative to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Federal Workforce issued on August 18th, 2011, to recruit, hire, and retain workers with disabilities.
President Obama launched the Veterans Employment Initiative through E.O. 13518 in November 2009. The goal of the initiative is to increase employment opportunities for qualified Veterans in the Federal Government, including Veterans who are 30 percent or more disabled. The E.O. established an Interagency Council on Veterans Employment. In addition, OPM has established a Veterans Employment Program Office in each of the 24 CHCO agencies to provide Government-wide leadership in carrying out the Veterans Employment Initiative.
In addition, on July 19th, 2010, President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum to establish The Presidential POWER Initiative: Protecting Our Workers and Ensuring Reemployment. This initiative supports Federal employees, who became injured or ill on the job in their efforts to reenter Federal service.
Finally, on August 18, 2011, President Obama signed E.O. 13583 Establishing a Coordinated Government-wide Initiative to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Federal Workforce. OPM has published a Government-wide Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, with guidance to agencies. Federal agencies have also been required to submit agency-specific Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plans, incorporating people with disabilities in their overall efforts.
Major Findings
Major findings in the FY 2011 Employment of People with Disabilities in the Federal Executive Branch Report are:
In FY 2011, there were 204,189 people with disabilities working for the Federal Government or 11 percent of the Federal workforce.
In FY 2011, there were 17,845 people with targeted disabilities working for the Federal Government.
In FY 2011, the Federal Government hired 18,738 people with disabilities.
In FY 2011, 14.70 percent of all new hires were people with disabilities.
In FY 2011, 1,122 people with targeted disabilities were hired in the Federal Government.
In FY 2011, 1,247 people with disabilities were hired using the Schedule A appointing authority.
