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Professionals with Disabilities

The Professionals with Disabilities (PWD) Outreach and Recruitment Program strives to advocate for PWD by promoting awareness for all members of this constituent group; identifying barriers to equality for PWD; providing recommendations for avoidance, mitigation and elimination of these barriers; and ensuring that PWD have equal access and opportunity for hiring, training, development and promotion.

See the Person Not the Disability 

A disability is any condition that makes it more difficult to do certain activities or effectively interact. These conditions, or impairments, may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, sensory, or a combination of multiple factors. Disability-causing impairments may be inherited or acquired over the course of a lifetime.

Mission:  Collaborate with Management, the Office of Human Resources (OHR) and the Civil Rights Staff (CRS) to relay the concerns and needs of Professional with Disabilities (PWD) and to ensure equality in hiring, training, developmental and promotional opportunities.

Objectives:

  • Coordinate employment workshops and recruitment efforts with CRS and Human Resources to assist PWD in resume writing, enhance interview skills; participate in recruitment and outreach and build a data bank of job recruitment sources, thereby increasing the quantitative and qualitative aspect of hiring PWDs.

  • Build support and instill pride for PWD by establishing support groups, conducting seminars and assisting with celebratory activities for National Disability Employment Awareness Month which is held in October.

  • Provide Disability Intelligence Training for Managers to increase awareness of the value of PWDs.

Program Manager:  Shonda Moore, provides oversight and support to the constituent group by promoting the mission, goals and objectives of the PWD program. Please contact Shonda Moore at Shonda.Moore@usda.gov or at 202-937-4064.

Upcoming Events

Upcoming events and workshops to help the FSIS with its efforts to hire people with disabilities.

 

Strategies for Recruiting, Hiring, Retaining and Advancing Professionals with Disabilities

Schedule A Tips for Hiring Managers

Recruitment Resources for PWD

The Disability Intelligence Training Library contains a catalogue of currently released and upcoming training material.  If you would like to request a training session, please submit your request to  shonda.moore@usda.gov 

 

  • Self-Identification of a Disability

    • Each agency in the Federal government has established programs to facilitate the hiring, placement, and advancement of individuals with disabilities. Self-identification of disability status is essential for effective data collection and analysis of the Federal government’s efforts. Self-identification of a disability is voluntary and kept in the strictest of confidence.  Self-identification Standard Form-256 is the form used to self-identify your disability.  An individual with a disability is defined as a person who (1) has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities; (2) has a record of such an impairment; or (3) is regarded as having such an impairment. This definition is provided by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 701, et seq.). 

    • Standard Form 256: Self Identification of a Disability.

 

  • Assistive Technology: USDA TARGET Center

    • Assistive technology (AT) is any item, piece of equipment, software program, or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of professionals with disabilities. AT can be low-tech: communication boards made of cardboard or fuzzy felt. AT can be high-tech: special-purpose computers.

    • The USDA TARGET Center is the point of contact for USDA employees wishing to request assistive technology at no cost through the USDA/CAP Partnership.

    • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) established the Technology & Accessible Resources Give Employment Today (TARGET) Center in 1992 to utilize the power of technology and provide impactful services related to improving accessibility and contributing to the complete employment experience of individuals with disabilities.

    • Visit the TARGET Center

    • Watch video about the importance of assistive technology

 

  • Reasonable Accommodations

 

  • 508 compliance- In 1998 the US Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to professionals with disabilities. Section 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, to make available new opportunities for people with disabilities, and to encourage development of technologies that will help achieve these goals. The law applies to all Federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology. Under Section 508 (29 U.S.C. § 794d), agencies must give employees with disabilities and members of the public access to information that is comparable to the access available to others.

 

NOTE: Additional Program Focus Areas and Challenges may be identified by constituent group and will be updated as required.

Turkey production line in 1956

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Last Updated: Feb 10, 2025