    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
    [October 16, 1999]
    [Pages 1805-1806]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Memorandum on Hiring People With Disabilities in the Federal Government
    October 16, 1999

    Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies
    Subject: Hiring People with Disabilities in the Federal Government

        Since I became President, we have created over 19 million new jobs
    and unemployment is as low as it has been in 29 years. Still, almost 75
    percent of working-age Americans with severe disabilities remain
    unemployed. If this Nation is to live up to its promise of equal
    opportunity, and our economy is to continue to strengthen and expand, we
    must draw on the untapped energy and creativity of these millions of
    capable Americans.
        One of the most glaring barriers to work for people with
    disabilities is that they frequently become ineligible for Medicaid or
    Medicare if they go back to work, putting them in the untenable position
    of choosing between health care coverage and employment. That is why my
    budget fully funds the Work Incentives Improvement Act, investing $1.2
    billion over 5 years in health care and employment services so that
    people with disabilities can work. This legislation was unanimously
    endorsed by the House Commerce Committee on May 19 and has been
    cosponsored by a majority of the House of Representatives; it passed the
    Senate 99-0 on June 16. It is time for the Congress to finish the job
    and pass the Work Incentives Improvement Act immediately. People with
    disabilities who want to work should not have to wait one more day.
        Vice President Gore and I have already taken a number of steps to
    increase the employment of people with disabilities. On March 13, 1998,
    I signed Executive Order 13078 establishing the National Task Force on
    Employment of Adults with Disabilities to create a coordinated national
    policy to bring working-age individuals with disabilities into gainful
    employment. In December, the Task Force presented the Vice
    President with its first report, and I am
    proud to say we have taken action on all the Task Force's formal
    recommendations.
        As we fight to ensure that all people with disabilities have the
    health care and other assistance they need to go to work, we must also
    lead by example and make the Federal Government a model employer of
    people with disabilities. On June 4, 1999, I signed an Executive order
    eliminating the Federal Government's stricter hiring standards for
    people with psychiatric disabilities, an issue highlighted by Mrs.

    [[Page 1806]]

    Gore earlier in the year. And last December, the
    Vice President asked the Office of
    Personnel Management (OPM) to develop a plan to increase the
    representation of adults with disabilities in the Federal workforce.
        Today I am pleased to release that plan, Accessing Opportunity: The
    Plan for Employment of People with Disabilities in the Federal
    Government, and the companion employment guide prepared by OPM. These
    documents give agencies detailed and practical information on ways to
    recruit people with disabilities for positions at all levels of
    government; provide opportunities for students with disabilities; ensure
    career opportunities for people with disabilities; collect and maintain
    data to monitor their success; and provide reasonable accommodations for
    applicants and employees with disabilities.
        I therefore direct you to implement this plan immediately within
    your departments and agencies and to bring qualified people with
    disabilities into the Federal workforce. This plan is proof of the
    Federal Government's commitment to empowering people with disabilities;
    now is the time for us to fulfill that commitment.

                                                          William J. Clinton