Release Date: Wednesday – August 2, 2023
Archive Episode 120 Resources: Federal Government Schedule A Program and Hiring Workers with Disabilities
Description
Did you know that the federal government is America’s largest employer? According to information published in May 2023 by the General Services Administration: “More than 4 million Americans—including more than 2.1 million Federal civilian employees—work for our Federal Government, both at home and overseas.” (Source: Strengthening and Empowering the Federal Workforce.)
In this episode of ADA Live! we discuss the Schedule A hiring Authority, a program the federal government has in place to recruit and hire employees with disabilities. This program allows federal agencies to hire qualified employees with disabilities without requiring them to go through a long hiring process. Schedule A hiring applies to all federal jobs. This episode includes information and resources for workers with disabilities, Federal employers, and employment service providers.
Our guests for this episode, Laura Taylor, Affirmative Employment Program Specialist, and Sandy Williams, Supervisory Human Resources Specialist, are with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. Laura and Sandy will explain how the Schedule A program helps qualified workers with disabilities find jobs with the federal government.
Guests:
- Laura Taylor, Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Workplace Equity with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia
- Sandy Williams, Office of the Chief Operating Officer with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia
Moderator and Host: Pam Williamson, Assistant Project Director of the Southeast ADA Center
Contents
- Featured in This Episode
- Learn about the Federal Schedule A Hiring Authority
- Federal Job Search and Recruiting Resources
- Reasonable Accommodations and Federal Employment
- Recent ADA Live Podcasts and Resources on Employment Rights
- More Resources on Federal Employment and Disability
Featured in This Episode
- Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Workplace Equity (OEEOWE)
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Link: cdc.gov/oeeowe
EEO Hotline: (770) 488-1225 - Careers at the CDC: Employment for People with Disabilities
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Link: jobs.cdc.gov/working-at-cdc/people-with-disabilities.html - Help Desk for New CDC Employees
If you have questions or need accommodations, contact the HR Customer Service Center at
(Phone) 770-488-1725; (TTY/TDD) 770-488-1228; or email hrcs@cdc.gov
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Link: jobs.cdc.gov/new-employees/new-hire-information.html
Learn about the Federal Schedule A Hiring Authority
- Schedule A Hiring Authority
Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
Link: opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/hiring/#url=Schedule-A-Hiring-Authority - Overview of the Schedule A Hiring Process
Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
Link: opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/hiring/#url=Overview - Federal Hiring Authority Resource Center
Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
Link: opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/hiring/#url=Schedule-A-Hiring-Authority - Guides to Schedule A (ABCs of Schedule A)
Schedule A guides and information for job applicants, employers, human resource professionals, and disability service providers.
Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Link: eeoc.gov/abcs-schedule - Sample Schedule A Letters [PDF file]
Individuals with disabilities can use these sample Schedule A letters to apply for federal jobs.
Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
Link: opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/getting-a-job/sampleschedaletters.pdf - Form SF 256: Self-Identification of Disability [PDF]
This form includes a list of “targeted disabilities or serious health conditions” used in the Schedule A hiring process.
Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
Link: opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf256.pdf - Federal Schedule A Hiring Authority Fact Sheet: Tips for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities Interested in Starting a Career with the Federal Government
Source: Youth.gov
Link: youth.gov/feature-article/federal-schedule-hiring-authority-fact-sheet-tips-youth-and-young-adults - Federal Employment Resource Library
Includes information on Schedule A hiring of federal employees and other resources.
Source: Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN)
Link: askearn.org/topic/federal-employment
Federal Job Search and Recruiting Resources
- Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP)
A job recruitment and referral program that connects Federal sector employers nationwide with college students and recent graduates with disabilities who want summer or permanent jobs. Colleges and universities can also participate in the program.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), and the U.S. Department of Defense
Link: wrp.gov - USAJobs: The Federal Government’s Official Employment Site
Find a job with the federal government.
Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
Link: usajobs.gov - USAJobs Help for Individuals with Disabilities
Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
Link: usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/individuals-with-disabilities - Videos: USAJOBS YouTube Channel
Information on the Schedule A Hiring Authority and other federal employment resources.
Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
Link: youtube.com/@usajobs - Tips for Applicants with Disabilities Applying for Federal Jobs
Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Link: eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/tips-applicants-disabilities-applying-federal-jobs
Reasonable Accommodations and Federal Employment
- Information and Resources on the Reasonable Accommodation Process
Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
Link: opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/reasonable-accommodations/ - Selective Placement Program Coordinator
Selective placement program coordinators (SPPC) help agencies recruit, hire and accommodate people with disabilities. The SPPC can guide you through the application process and answer questions. Most federal agencies, but not all, have an SPPC or equivalent role, such as a special emphasis program manager. If you are a person with a disability and interested in a federal job opportunity, contact the agency SPPC using the Selective Placement Program Coordinator Directory.
Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
Link: opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/selective-placement-program-coordinator
Directory: opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/selective-placement-program-coordinator-directory - Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP)
Computers, other assistive technology and services are available for Federal government employees with disabilities who need job accommodations. (Note: Before contacting CAP directly, check with the Disability Program Manager (DPM) or Selective Placement Program Coordinator (SPPC), as they may already have a relationship with CAP.)
Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
Link: cap.mil - Federal Employer Job Accommodation Resources
Information and resources about job accommodations, the ADA, and employment of people with disabilities.
Source: Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
Link: askjan.org/topics/Federal-Employment-of-People-with-Disabilities.cfm
Recent ADA Live Podcasts and Resources on Employment Rights
You can access all ADA Live! episodes with archived audio, accessible transcripts, and resources at ADAlive.org. Listen on the SoundCloud ADA Live! channel at soundcloud.com/adalive.
Source: Southeast ADA Center
- Episode 111: Supporting Our Veterans: Tips for Job Seekers and Returning Workers | Resources
Podcast: adalive.org/episodes/episode-111
Resources: adalive.org/resources/episode-111-resources - Episode 104: Employment, ADA, and Post-COVID Health | Resources
Podcast: adalive.org/episodes/episode-104
Resources: adalive.org/resources/episode-104-resources - Episode 99: Honoring our Veterans – Services and Support for Veterans and their Families | Resources
Podcast: adalive.org/episodes/episode-99
Resources: adalive.org/resources/episode-99-resources
More Resources on Federal Employment and Disability
- The Federal Government as a Model Employer of People with Disabilities
These resources show how the federal government became a model employer with effective employment practices that any workplace can use for recruiting, hiring, retaining and advancing people with disabilities.
Source: Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN)
Link: askearn.org/publication/federal-government-as-a-model-employer - Strengthening and Empowering the Federal Workforce
According to information published in May 2023 by the General Services Administration: “More than 4 million Americans—including more than 2.1 million Federal civilian employees—work for our Federal Government, both at home and overseas.”
Source: General Services Administration (GSA)
Link: performance.gov/pma/workforce - Resources for Federal Employers
Source: U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)
Link: dol.gov/agencies/odep/program-areas/employers/federal-employment - Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans
Information about special hiring authorities or programs federal agencies can use to hire veterans, including disabled veterans.
Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
Link: fedshirevets.gov/hiring-officials/strategic-recruitment-and-hiring/veterans/ - Executive Order on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce
Source: The White House (June 25, 2021)
Link: whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/06/25/executive-order-on-diversity-equity-inclusion-and-accessibility-in-the-federal-workforce - Model Strategies for Recruitment and Hiring of People with Disabilities as Required Under Executive Order 13548
Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
Link: chcoc.gov/content/model-strategies-recruitment-and-hiring-people-disabilities-required-under-executive-order - Equal Employment Law Guidance and Resources for Federal Sector Agencies
Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Link: eeoc.gov/federal-sector - Questions & Answers: Promoting Employment of Individuals with Disabilities in the Federal Workforce
Written for federal agencies, but other employers can use this guide as a model.
Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Link: eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/questions-answers-promoting-employment-individuals-disabilities-federal-workforce - Enforcement Guidance: Pre-employment Disability-Related Questions and Medical Examinations
Federal guidance on the questions agencies can ask about an applicant’s disability.
Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Link: eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/enforcement-guidance-preemployment-disability-related-questions-and-medical - The EEO Status of Workers with Disabilities in the Federal Sector
Report on equal employment opportunity (EEO) data from 2014-2018.
Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Link: eeoc.gov/federal-sector/reports/eeo-status-workers-disabilities-federal-sector