The Administrations initiative, to be carried out over five years, builds upon its past success in giving people in the disabled community a stage to show they can successfully contribute in the workplace while enhancing their economic prosperity.

It is so very important that men and women with disabilities be given every opportunity to fully participate in the unparalleled prosperity our nation has witnessed over the past seven years, said OPM Director Janice R. Lachance, the Presidents chief advisor on federal human resource issues. The quality of work performed by people with disabilities -- and the full range of occupations they hold -- only serve to reinforce the Clinton-Gore Administrations commitment to do more for those who only need a chance to show what they can do for America.

The President signed an Executive Order putting the hiring plan into motion in recognition of the 10th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Under the Executive Order, each agency and department will submit to OPM for approval a blueprint detailing a comprehensive strategy for recruiting and hiring people with disabilities. Lachance has sent a memorandum to heads of executive departments and agencies describing the information that must be contained in their plans. The blueprints must be submitted to OPM by September 25, 2000. Each blueprint will describe:

• the agencys plans for recruiting and hiring qualified individuals with a disability, and provide the number of likely hires, and the occupations and grade levels of expected hires;

• the agencys plans for training, mentoring and working with new hires on career development strategies; and,

• the agencys strategy to ensure that reasonable accommodation needs are met.

OPM will track the governments progress beginning with people hired on October 1, 2000.

To achieve the Administrations hiring objective, OPM will work with agency human resources officials to make sure they are aware of all available hiring authorities. In addition, recruitment and hiring officials will expand their outreach efforts and make accommodation for people with disabilities a primary objective.

In October 1999, OPM released Accessing Opportunity: The Plan for Employment of People with Disabilities in the Federal Government and People with Disabilities in the Federal Government: An Employment Guide. Together, these publications offer information on hiring authorities that can be used to hire qualified people with disabilities and workplace accommodations, as well as guidance on training and promoting successful employees.