This piece in New Mobility suggests a disturbing downward trend in employment of people with disabilities.
-Less than 1% of federal employees are people with severe disabilities.
-Over the past ten years the government workforce increased by 5.5% but the number of employees with severe disabilities decreased by 14.75%
from the Jan. 15 2008 report, “Participation Rate of People with Targeted Disabilities in the Federal Work Force,” issued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
The report states that the decline is caused by
-bias or lack of managerial training
- persisting myths and stereotypes;
- increase in contractor hiring to fill jobs at lower pay grades;
- reluctance of managers to use specific hiring programs for those with disabilities.
