Schedule A Hiring Authority Workshop

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Schedule A Hiring Authority Workshop

• Christine Griffin, EEOC Commissioner
• Dinah F. B. Cohen, CAP Director

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Employees with Targeted Disabilities in the
Federal Work Force
of Total Permanent Work Force (Participation
Rate)
Source EEOC Federal Sector Statistics
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Federal Sector Statistics

• From FY 1997 to FY 2006, total federal workforce
  increased by 135,732 employees, a net increase of
  5.48.
• During this same ten year period, the number of
  employees with targeted disabilities decreased
  from 28,671 to 24,442, a net decrease of -14.75.
• In other words, over the last decade the
  government grew by 5½ overall, but we still lost
  almost 15 of all people with severe
  disabilities.

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Federal Sector Statistics

• 2.6 million federal employees
• 57.0 were men
• 43.0 were women
• 66.2 were White
• 18.4 were Black or African American
• 8.0 were Hispanic or Latino
• 6.0 were Asian
• 0.2 were Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander
• 2.0 were American Indian/Alaska Native
• 0.1 were Persons of Two or More Races
• 0.94 were Individuals with Targeted Disabilities

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Federal Sector Statistics

• FY06 Average Grade
• All federal employees 10.00
• Individuals with Tar. Disabilities 8.50
• FY05 Average Pay Grade Level (remained in FY06)
• All federal employees 9.98
• Individuals with Tar. Disabilities 8.43
• FY06 Senior Executive Service (SES)
• Total SES employees 20,070
• SES with Tar. Disabilities 93 (0.46)

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Ranking Cabinet Level Agencies By PWTD
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EEOCs LEAD Initiative

• Increase the awareness of hiring officials about
  the declining numbers of people with
  disabilities in federal employment workforce
  planning and development
• Reverse the trend of decreasing participation in
  federal employment diversity and disability goals
• Educate federal hiring officials about how to use
  special hiring authorities to bring people with
  disabilities on board, particularly those with
  severe disabilities
• Educate applicants with severe disabilities about
  how to apply using the special hiring authorities
  available
• Provide information and resources on reasonable
  accommodation

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LEAD Activities

• So what steps can you take to make a difference?

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Recruitment and Placement

• Affirmative Program Plans EEO MD-715
• USA Jobs www.usajobs.opm.gov/
• Disability Network Advocacy groups, Independent
  Living Centers
• State Rehabilitation Services
• Employer Assistance Referral Network (EARN)
• Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP)
• Veterans Hiring Preferences
• Schedule A Hiring Authority

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Federal Hiring for Individuals with Disabilities

• Using the Schedule A hiring authority, found at 5
  CFR 213.3102(u), federal managers can hire
  qualified persons with mental retardation, severe
  physical disabilities, or psychiatric
  disabilities
• without the typical recruitment headaches
• without posting and publicizing the position
• without going through the certification process
• without rating candidates

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Schedule A Hiring Authority

• So how does it work?
• Step 1 When managers have an open position, make
  contact with the Selective Placement
  Coordinator (SPC) or Disability Program Manager
  (DPM) in your agency
• Step 2 Discuss with the SPC/DPM what
  competencies the ideal candidate should posses,
  thinking critically about the essential
  functions of the position
• Step 3 Get candidates - A skilled SPC/DPM will
  be able to produce potential candidates. The
  number of applicants available will vary
  greatly, depending on the level of specialty
  required by the job.

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Schedule A Hiring Authority

• Step 4 Make a selection The hiring official
  can now review the resumes and references of
  qualified, Schedule A eligible applicants, and
  make a selection! Interviews can be held to
  aid in making a selection decision, but it is
  not required.
• Step 5 Make an offer Relay selection to
  appropriate persons within HR who issue offers
  on behalf of agency (may be handled through
  SPC/DPM).
• Step 6 Once an offer has been accepted, a start
  date may be established to bring the candidate
  on board.
• Thats It!

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LEAD Goal

• 2 by 2010
• for ALL AGENCIES!

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Reasonable Accommodations

• Making facilities accessible
• Job restructuring
• Modified work hours or location
• Provide qualified readers and interpreters
• Orientation new employee, co-worker, workplace
• Job re-assignment (the accommodation of last
  resort)
• Acquisition or modification of equipment or
  assistive devices
• Formal reasonable accommodation procedures

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CAP Overview

• CAP was established in 1990 as DoDs centrally
  funded program to provide accommodations
• Expanded by Congress in 2000 to support other
  Federal agencies
• Partnerships with 65 Federal agencies
• Over 60,000 accommodations since inception
• CAP Mission To provide assistive technology and
  accommodations to ensure people with disabilities
  have equal access to the information environment
  and opportunities in the Department of Defense
  and throughout the Federal government

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CAP Services

• Provide assistive technology and training
• Conduct needs assessments and technology
  demonstrations
• Provide installation and integration
• Provide training on disability management and on
  creating an accessible environment
• Assist in the recruitment, placement, promotion
  and retention of people with disabilities and
  Wounded Service Members

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Assistive Technology and Services

• Computer input devices
• Alternative keyboards, input devices and voice
  recognition software
• Computer output devices
• Screen readers, magnification software, Braille
  terminal
• Telecommunication devices
• PC based TTY
• Video communication devices
• Assistive listening devices
• Personal amplification devices
• Captioning services

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CAPTEC Services

• Assist individuals and supervisors
• Choosing appropriate accommodations
• Wide variety of assistive technology
• VTC Capabilities
• Tours
• Located in the Pentagon
• Michael Young, CAPTEC Manager703-693-5160
  (Voice)
• 703-693-6189 (TTY)

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Employment Lifecycle

• Recruitment
• Placement
• Promotion
• Retention

Accommodation
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Workforce Recruitment Program

• Co-sponsored by the Department of
  Labor and Department of Defense
• Participation from Federal
  agencies and the private sector
• Wide range of occupations
• Diverse workforce
• CAP covers the cost of accommodations for all WRP
  students participating in any Federal agency
• www.wrp.gov

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Retention

• Aging Workforce
• Healthy Work Practices Program
• Workers Compensation
• Telework
• Wounded Service Members

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Retention - Workers Compensation

• Assist Workers Compensation claimants who obtain
  on the job injuries that result in an accepted
  claim in their return-to-work process
• Work with Workers Compensation officials to
  evaluate needs of employees
• Conduct CAP accommodation needs assessments
• Provide appropriate assistive technology or
  related accommodations
• Review Telework options

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Retention - Telework

• Target groups
• Recipients of Workers Compensation payments
• Persons with Disabilities
• As a form of reasonable accommodation
• To increase productivity and/or improve
  accessibility issues
• Persons who may be subjected to disability
  retirement
• Equipment
• Assistive technology
• Home office equipment (computer hardware and
  software, fax machine, printer)
• Trends
• Teleworkers with disabilities increased by 120
  from FY02 to FY03

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From Deployment to Employment

• CAPs Wounded Service Members Initiative
• Provide assistive technology to WSMs to use in
  future employment and vocational settings
• Public Law 109-364 Retention of AT after
  separation from active service
• Provide services and resources for
• Employment internships
• Public private sector initiatives
• Partnership programs
• Military Severely Injured Center
  www.militaryonesource.com
• VA Seamless Transition www.seamlesstransition.va.
  gov
• DOL REALifelines www.dol.gov/vets/programs/Real-l
  ife/main.htm

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Next Steps

• Agency Disability Program Managers
• Department of Labor
• Job Accommodation Network www.jan.wvu.edu
• DisabilityInfo.Gov www.disabilityinfo.gov
• EEOCs LEAD Initiative www.eeoc.gov/lead
• Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program
  www.tricare.mil/cap
• EEOC Management Directive 715
• January 31, 2008

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2 by 2010for ALL AGENCIES!