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= Schedule A Hiring Authority for People with Disabilities = Schedule A is an excepted service hiring authority that allows United States federal agencies to hire or promote individuals with disabilities non-competitively. A person is eligible for a Schedule A appointment if he or she has a severe physical, intellectual, or psychiatric disability. However, there is no specific definition or list of conditions or disabilities that qualify, so U.S. federal agencies can interpret this broadly.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management issued the final updated regulation regarding Schedule A Hiring of People with Disabilities on July 25, 2006 and it went into effect on August 25, 2006. Please note that this article refers specifically to Schedule A hiring for persons with disabilities under the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 5, 213.3102(u). For other types of Schedule A hiring, please view the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's list of excepted service appointing authorities.

Process of Applying using Schedule A
The two main ways for applicants with disabilities to apply for positions in the Federal Government using Schedule A are:

1. Apply through the competitive hiring process for a specific job and note in the application that they wish to apply under Schedule A. This means applying through a publically posted job announcement, which is usually found on USAJOBS or on the agency's website. In some cases, Schedule A applicants may complete the application online and then follow up with an agency's Selective Placement Program Coordinator (SPPC) or Human Resources (HR) regarding their Schedule A status.

2. Apply directly to an agency's Selective Placement Program Coordinator (SPPC), Disability Program Manager (DPM) or agency equivalent. Applicants can locate the SPPC for a particular agency by searching the SPPC directory. Once the applicants have provided the agency with their documentation, they can ask to be considered for any current or future available positions at the agency for which they would be qualified. This can allow hiring managers to fill positions with qualified individuals with disabilities without having to post the position and go through the lengthy hiring process.

In both cases, applicants must provide the proper documentation necessary in order to apply using Schedule A. Once Schedule A applicants have submitted their application, they should wait for the agency to contact them. The use of Schedule A does not guarantee a job placement or an interview.

If a Schedule A applicant is offered a position, he or she should ask for it in writing. If the applicant chooses to accepted the position, he or she should then notify the agency of any accommodations you will need, so that the accommodations can be in place when the applicant starts working. If a person with a disability is hired under Schedule A, the probationary period can last up to two years.

Documents Needed to Apply under Schedule A
Aside from your resume and any other documents that the agency or job opening may request (i.e. writing sample, transcript, etc.), to apply under Schedule A the applicant must also have documents that provide proof of disability and certification of job readiness.

Proof of Disability
Proof of Disability takes the form of a letter that states that the applicant has a severe physical, intellectual, or psychiatric disability. This letter can be provided by a doctor or any licensed medical professional, a licensed rehabilitation professional, or any federal, state, District of Columbia, or US territory agency that issues or provides disability benefits.

The letter only needs to state that the person has a severe disability. It does not need to state the specific disability, medical history, or need for accommodation of the applicant.

Certification of Job Readiness
Schedule A applicants also need to provide a certification of job readiness. This means showing an Agency that the applicant is ready for the position he or she is applying for. Schedule A applicants should provide a letter from a licensed career counselor, a public or private vocational rehabilitation counselor, a Veterans Administration (VA) counselor, or Social Security or other disability benefits staff. If the Schedule A applicant is a veteran with a 30% or more disability rating, he or she may also be eligible to apply under special veterans’ hiring programs.

Although a letter from one of these entities certifying job readiness is preferable, an agency can also choose to hire a Schedule A applicant as a temporary employee in order to determine job readiness. If an agency is satisfied that the new employee meets the needs of the job, the job can then be converted from a temporary to permanent position.

Effectiveness of Government Initiatives
People with disabilities have

Related Legislation
On July 26, 2010, on the 20th Anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, President Barack Obama signed Executive Order (EO) 13548-- Increasing Federal Employment of Individuals with Disabilities, which includes a section calling for the increased use of the Schedule A hiring authority around people with disabilities. EO 13548 works to establish the Federal Government as a model employer of individuals with disabilities and to improve efforts to employ people with disabilities through recruitment, hiring, advancement, and retention. It requires Federal agencies to increase the hiring of people with disabilities by 100,000 over the next 5 years. EO 13548 works in coordination with EO 13518 on Employment of Veterans in the Federal Government issued on November 9, 2009; Presidential Memorandum on The Presidential POWER Initiative: Protecting Our Workers and Ensuring Reemployment issued on July 19, 2010; and EO 13583 on Establishing a Coordinated Government-wide Initiative to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Federal Workforce issued on August 18, 2011, to recruit, hire, and retain workers with disabilities.

Other Federal Government Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities
In addition to Schedule A, the Workforce Recruitment Program for current and recent college and graduate students with disabilities is another resource through which people with disabilities can gain employment with the Federal Government. For other resources and information for people with disabilities, there is more information on Disability.gov.