AF raising awareness of programs for people with disabilities

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt Gina M. Vaccaro
  • Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and the Air Force wants to ensure every Airman is aware of its ongoing efforts to support people with disabilities. 

"The Air Force hopes to increase awareness, promote opportunities for employment candidates with disabilities, and become the model equal opportunity program for the Department of Defense," said Lt. Gen. Richard Newton III, the deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel, and services. 

Mary Young, operational manager for the affirmative employment program at the Air Force Personnel Center, here, said, "The Air Force uses observances such as the Disability Employment Awareness Month to highlight and educate employees and managers on issues related to hiring, accommodating, developing, and retaining employees with disabilities." 

It wants to fulfill its commitment to reach the DOD's goal of having two per cent of the federal workforce be composed of people with significant disabilities (defined as the nine targeted disabilities: deafness, blindness, missing extremities, partial paralysis, total paralysis, convulsive disorders, mental retardation, mental illness, and distortion of limb/spine). 

The Air Force participates in the Workforce Recruitment Program for college students with disabilities, a resource for employers to find candidates for temporary employment which may lead to permanent employment.

 "This year, the Air Force met its goal of placing 25 students through the WRP and we have increased our commitment to hire more," Ms. Young said. 

"The WRP students are highly motivated and eager to prove their abilities in the workplace," she continued. The DoD and the Department of Labor co-sponsor this program that provides fully-funded summer hires to DoD and other Federal agencies. "These post-secondary and recent graduates with disabilities are free labor during the summer months and have demonstrated that people with disabilities can work successfully in a variety of jobs." 

Further, the Air Force established the people with disabilities working group whose goal is to find ways to refine and focus its programs for people with disabilities. These efforts have earned them DOD recognition. In 2007, the Air Force was given the Secretary of Defense Trophy for the Best Military Department for having the outstanding affirmative action program in the employment of people with disabilities. By highlighting these programs and finding ways to improve them, the Air Force hopes to accelerate efforts toward finding solutions that will open doors to employment for more people with disabilities. 

For more information on programs for people with disabilities and the many resources available to them, contact the people with disabilities program manager, affirmative employment program manager, or equal opportunity office at your base.