Comments on: Gary Karp Asks President Obama about his Plans for Employing People with a Disability

By: Michael Mantion

Michael Mantion — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:12:22 +0000

President Bush issued 6 executive orders protecting the rights of disabled persons. Obama has not done a sing thing, he is all talk. How sad.

By: my project free

my project free — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:37:03 +0000

Project Free will create a Freedom Village that is a bold new innovation in supportive and community living for intellectually and developmentally disabled adults with disabilities; a Village that enhances independence through continuing education, vocational and skills training, socialization, and entrepreneurial training. Picture a New England Village with mixed residential, retail, entertainment and public space; a Village that attracts local residents and tourists alike because of its inviting design and appealing shops and activities. Picture a community center, an academy, excellent places to eat, meet and have fun. This is Freedom Village. Freedom Village will be inclusive of: a) A home ownership program; b) A long-term lease/rental program; c) Post secondary academy; and d) Retail space for integrated employment.

The residents of Freedom Village will live, work, and play in a milieu that bolsters every individual’s opportunity for a satisfying and connected life

By: Renee

Renee — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:15:03 +0000

Reality check, Washington DC is where some disablity hiring may be happening but of the more than a quarter of a million federal employees hired over the last year, only just over 300 were hired using the disability hiring authority. I am pleased that our new President is addressing the issue but carefully consider that even the previous President issued his “Executive Orders” to have the federal government aggressively hire the disabled. In the end, it makes great press but the reality is the polar opposite of these orders.

I personally became disabled while federally employed seven years ago. It took the NTEU (union) and a friendly Senator to get me a menial job (three pay grades lower than I had held) with CBP. I have fought these past years to secure employment appropriate to my ten years of experience and when one follows the posted instruction by OPM and contacts the agency “coordinator” for assisting the disabled, it is followed by endless administrative acrobats done by the applicant for a “coordinator” who does nothing. Then, when a vacancy is announced, I apply and am rated number one on the best qualified lists and I don’t even get an interview. The coordinator tells me there is a seperate list upon which my name will also appear as a “disabled applicant”. That list never materializes. After 18 years of federal service, I filed my first EEO complaint, I am desperately trying to finance my attorney’s fees and the agency (as a resolution) is offering me another menial job with their office. I am alone in my fight with a massive government agency with unlimited finances and the man power to grind me into dust.

In Washington, there may be real efforts but in the federal agency trenches (Miami in my case), there is no federal employment for the disabled aside from what crumbs a Senator and a National union were able to get the government to cough up.