Sheppard sets goal for disability employment

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Vernon Cunningham
  • 82nd Training Wing
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  The Americans with Disabilities Act celebrated its 20th Anniversary July 26 and the 82nd Force Support Squadron at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, is working to help achieve a local goal of two percent of Sheppard civilian workforce positions being filled by qualified persons with targeted disabilities.

The Department of Defense established an overall goal of two percent of the civilian workforce being individuals with the targeted disabilities, defined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, in an effort to increase the recruitment and hiring of individuals with disabilities.

The targeted disabilities include deafness, blindness, missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, convulsive disorders, mental retardation, mental illness and distortion of limbs or spine.

Marianne Bonner, 82nd FSS chief of position and personnel management, said both the Air Force and Sheppard have decided to match the DoD's goal for its civilian workforce by 2010.

"We currently have 10 self-identified individuals who qualify within the targeted disabilities. There are 1,200 civil servant employees at Sheppard. That is less than one percent."

To help reach the hiring goal, individuals with the targeted disabilities can apply under the Schedule A program.

Schedule A is a non-competitive program for hiring job-qualified candidates.

Mrs. Bonner said the speed of the program also limits mission lost due to a position being vacant, as opposed to the normal six-month process of filling a job.

"With this program, there is no competition, no schedule on the website, no waiting, and no ranking and rating of candidates," Mrs. Bonner said. "I can go to the manager today and say this person qualifies for the job. They can review the application and we can get the person into the job within a month."

Individuals with targeted disabilities may be hired for several types of employment: Temporary employment expected to last more than one year; time-limited employment expected to last more than one year; and the third option is permanent employment.

To receive non-competitive consideration as a Schedule A applicant, qualified individuals can apply to the Air Force Selective Placement Coordinator at http://apps.opm.gov/sppc_directory/searchlist.cfm.

When applying, the following documents are required:
- Resume, if applicable.
- Proof of disability and certification of job readiness from a licensed medical professional, a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist or any federal agency, state agency or any agency of the District of Columbia or U.S. territory that issues disability benefits.

For more information about the hiring of individuals with disabilities, visit the Office of Personnel Management website at www.opm.gov/disability/peoplewithdisabilities.asp.