The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is pleased to announce the issuance of the final regulation concerning the excepted service appointments of persons with mental retardation, severe physical disabilities, and psychiatric disabilities. In addition to the regulation, OPM is issuing a "Questions and Answers" fact sheet which provides additional guidance. Copies of both documents are attached.
The final regulation changes the procedures that govern the employment of persons with disabilities. The changes support the President's "New Freedom Initiative" introduced in 2001, which encourages Federal agencies to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities. These provisions represent a significant step towards removing possible barriers to the employment of persons with disabilities. The changes to the regulation —
- Expand the types of entities from which an agency can accept proof of disability and certification of an applicant's job readiness.
- Consolidate the three separate appointing authorities into one appointing authority.
- Clarify the employment and conversion options under the appointing authority.
Please share the attachments with those in your agency involved in the hiring process and encourage the use of the appointing authority for persons with disabilities. In addition, you may find this regulation helpful as you look for ways to incorporate the Career Patterns (CP) initiative into your human capital planning. This rule may be particularly useful when examining job requirements and adapting work environments against the Time in Career and flexible arrangements CP dimensions.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact your OPM Human Capital Officer. Thank you for your continued support in the employment of disabled individuals in the Federal Government's workforce.
Attachments
- Regulation
- Questions & Answers
cc: Human Resources Directors