U.S. Hiring Goals Expected to Be Met

Clinton administration officials believe that federal agencies will be able to meet the president’s goal of hiring 100,000 people with disabilities over the next five years.

Current hiring trends show federal agencies are on track to hire 62,500 people with disabilities during the five-year period, so the new goal should be reached if hiring patterns hold and agencies step up recruiting efforts, officials said.

President Clinton announced the hiring requirement Wednesday at ceremonies marking the 10th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act. As part of the initiative, agencies will submit their strategies for recruiting people with disabilities to the Office of Personnel Management for approval.

An agency official said more than 122,000 federal employees describe themselves as disabled. More than 20,000 of them report having severe disabilities.