Many people in career transition find the development of proper resources, federal resumes and the many online options for submittal of this information to be overwhelming. Fortunately the federal employment system provides many helpful resources for well-deserving and qualified people who happen to to be disabled in some way.
It’s been my experience in 17 plus years in the employment area that people with disabilities often possess distinct advantages to employers.
Here are four advantages that I have noticed and employers (not just federal) have reported to me:
1. They work extremely hard when you develop and organizational culture that encourages persons with disabilities to utilize their potential.
2. When you provide for them they become extremely loyal to you
3. The organizational culture is enhanced when the organization accommodates individuals with disabilities and reallocates responsibilities to accommodate and retain an individual already on staff who acquires a disability.
4. The organizational culture is further enhanced when the company or organization determines appropriate accommodations using an informal, interactive problem-solving process involving the employer organization and the individual with a disability.
Here is the key information or disabilities and federal employment:
Federal Organizations
DisabilityInfo.gov
DisabilityInfo.gov provides quick and easy access to comprehensive information about disability programs, services, laws and benefits.
Section508.gov
Section 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, to make available new opportunities for people with disabilities, and to encourage development of technologies that will help achieve these goals.
National Council on Disability (NCD)
NCD provides advice to the President, Congress, and Executive Branch agencies to promote policies, programs, practices, and procedures that guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities.
Federal Agencies
U.S. Access Board
The Access Board is an independent Federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities.
TARGET Center
Provides assistive technology and ergonomic solutions to assist U.S. Department of Agriculture employees with disabilities.
Employment Laws
Equal Employment Opportunity listing of laws which prohibit job discrimination.
WomensHealth.gov
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides information for women with disabilities, caretakers, health professionals, and researchers.
Workforce Recruitment Program
The Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities (WRP) is a resource for Federal agencies and private businesses nationwide to identify qualified temporary and permanent employees from a variety of fields.
Disability Employment Policy
The Office of Disability Employment Policy, at the U.S. Department of Labor, provides national leadership by developing and influencing disability-related employment policy and practice affecting the employment of people with disabilities.
Ticket to Work Program
The Ticket to Work Program provides most people receiving Social Security benefits (beneficiaries) more choices for receiving employment services. Under this program the Social Security Administration (SSA) issues ticket to eligible beneficiaries who, in turn, may choose to assign those tickets to an Employment Network (EN) of their choice to obtain employment services, vocational rehabilitation services, or other support services necessary to achieve a vocational (work) goal.
Disability Resource Center
The Disability Resource Center supports the U.S. Department of Transportation in the employment, advancement, and retention of people with disabilities through the use of state-of-the-art technology and proactive customer services.
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment
The Department of Veterans Affair’s Veterans Benefits Administration’s Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) service is vested with delivering timely, effective vocational rehabilitation services to veterans with service-connected disabilities.
Study and encourage others to study this information whether you are in federal employment or not. For more information go the US Office of Personnel Management.