President Obama Issues Executive Order to Increase Federal Employment of Individuals with Disabilities

During a July 26 ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, President Barack Obama gathered with people with disabilities, advocates, lawmakers and federal officials to mark the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. After his remarks, President Obama signed an Executive Order that will establish the Federal Government as a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The order directs several federal agencies to design model recruitment and hiring strategies for agencies seeking to increase their employment of people with disabilities, as well as mandatory training programs for both human resources personnel and hiring managers on the employment of individuals with disabilities.

Comments

[Patricia G.]

After 21 years as a dedicated, decorated Federal employee, I was fired by a Bush-appointed U.S. Attorney in March, 2008, due to my disability. I filed a civil action in Federal Court in Providence, RI that is pending. I am optimistic that with the current administration's determination to uphold and, indeed, enhance the disability laws and set an example by this show of hiring disabled individuals, that I will be reinstated to my position without the need for a jury trial. I advocated for the change promised by President Obama, and I see so much of what I had hoped for. I can only continue to hope that the change includes a resolution to the injustice I received. While that injustice was in no way attritutable to the policies or attitudes accepted by this administration, I have great faith their tread to do the right thing will follow through.

[Joseph K.]

As a Tramatic Brain Injury Disability I am hopeful to receive employment whether it be in the public or private sector.

[formerfed]

As much as I support such executive orders, as well as have a best friend who has worked with the disabled for over 30 years, establishing any quotas or making hiring the disabled part of a supervisor's performance standards needs flexibility. Most hires I made when still working required walking and doing work in the field, independently, in rough terrain ranging from agricultural fields to wilderness areas where assistance was limited or non existent and distances to the nearest humanity could be 20 miles away. Both my friend and myself agree that mandating disabled hiring in those circumstances is foolish and fool hardy. Second, from another experience, a disabled person successfully sued to have a wheelchair accessible restroom at the top of a trail in a wilderness area at least 5 rugged miles from the trail head even for an able bodied adult that no wheelchair bound person had ever been observed in history. What was more perplexing is the group of volunteers who eventually built the restroom had to pack everything in to the area on their backs over a two week period, because the powers that be refused to allow some heavier pieces to be airlifted in by helicopter even though the helicopter company would have donated its aircraft. The reason you ask? Because the helicopter would disturb the wilderness experience for the one day it would have been needed. Since it was built years ago, it has never been used by a disabled person.

[RebeccaR]

I support people with disabilities as a job coach. That means I help locate suitable employment and assist the person in maintaining that employment. Disabilities are more than just physical mobility problems or even slower intellectual functioning. A person may be using my services because they have short term memory problems due to a TBI. We had a young man who needed help finding a job because he couldn't understand why he would get so flustered at his other positions. We found out that due to his diagnosis on the Autism Spectrum, he could not be under florescent lights. But the man had great intellect, so we just had to find a place that worked with his needs where he could contribute his strengths.

It's very easy to say "those folks won't be able handle what I do" and I hear it everyday. But from experience, I know my job as well all other jobs, can be done by the RIGHT person. These mandates don't suggest that you must hire someone with a disability even if that means that they can't do the job. If someone can't perform the tasks because of the disability, trust me, that person won't want to do it either. Can you imagine the frustration? But if the person does have a disability or job coach, and is at your doorstep saying "I can do this," PLEASE give that person a chance. If they can't perform the tasks, even with accomodations, then you can let that person go. Besides I doubt that person wants to stay in a job they can't contribute to. There are so many untold success stories, and there is such a great opportunity to tap into this motivated, willing, enthusiastic workforce. If anyone would just give these folks a chance.

[Shane B.]

Businesses must provide reasonable accommodations in all aspects of employment to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities.