Government Disability & Telework Policies

Telework, working at a distance from an employer, offers advantages to people with disabilities. While the U.S. government is committed to hiring disabled workers and is aware of the benefits of telework, it still has work to do.

Federal Jobs Filled Noncompetitively

• According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, people "with Mental Retardation, Severe Physical Disabilities, or Psychiatric Disabilities" may apply for noncompetitive appointment with federal agencies through the Schedule A (5 C.F.R. 213.3102(u)) hiring authority. Telework may be appropriate for some of these workers.

Compliance With the ADA

• Jane Anderson, director of MITE (Midwest Institute for Telecommuting Education), reports that "Telework can assist employers in meeting the requirements of the ADA [Americans With Disabilities Act]." She points out that although the benefits of telework extend to people without disabilities, it affords companies the ability to hire disabled workers who are unable to work in a traditional workplace setting.

Federal Training for Hiring Disabled Workers

• An online survey of 513 federal hiring officers conducted in 2010 by the Telework Exchange and the Federal Managers Association found that almost half of human resources officials responsible for hiring and retaining federal workers had not received adequate training on how to manage and retain employees with severe disabilities. The Telework Exchange is using the results of the survey, published in "The Washington Post," to advance telework in federal agencies.