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EEOC: Federal workplace increasingly closed to people with disabilities

January 16th, 2008

A report released this week by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said that the employment of people with disabilities in the federal government hit its lowest point in 22 years in fiscal 2006, the most recent year for which data is available.

In fiscal 2006, about 0.97 percent of the federal workforce was comprised of people with disabilities. At its peak in 1994, about 1.24 percent of the federal work force was disabled. Over the same time period, harassment complaints have steadily increased and the proportion of people with disabilities receiving promotions has fallen.

Among the problems cited in the EEOC report: managers don’t understand how to make accommodations for people with disabilities; many agencies haven’t made hiring them a priority; and, an obtuse hiring process may discourage applicants.

The government is not living up to its obligations, EEOC Commissioner Christine Griffin said.

“Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal agencies have an affirmative action requirement to hire and advance individuals with disabilities, yet 35 long years later, there is little progress,” Griffin said. “Agency leaders must make this issue a priority.”

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 16th, 2008 at 1:06 pm and is filed under NOT2BEMISSED, disabilities, employment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Email This Post

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More than 50 million people in the United States have disabilities, a number that is growing rapidly as the population ages. Experts say disability will soon affect the lives of most Americans. This blog attempts to explore what we know about disability, and to chronicle the efforts of people who are seeking new ways to address familiar challenges.

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EEOC: Federal workplace increasingly closed to people with disabilities

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