According to the Post, Bush’s efforts to “competitively source” federal jobs may be jeopardizing some federal employees with disabilities. Thousands of federal jobs are being reviewed to determine whether a private contractor can perform the same duties at a lower cost. A lot of these jobs are in food service, administrative support, and the like. Federal employees with disabilities may need additional support or supervision, which may put them at a disadvantage with a private contractor when doing a pure cost analysis.
For a president who likes to tout his so-called New Freedom Initiative, which includes the integration of people with disabilities in the workplace, this news only serves to illustrate Bush’s hypocrisy. The federal government has long been a leader in the employment of people with disabilities. Every administration since Truman’s has recognized the important role the federal government plays in creating job opportunities for people with disabilities. The employment policies of the federal government eventually filtered into the private sector, creating even more jobs for people with disabilities. During the Schiavo circus, Bush made it a point to say that he was fighting for the rights of the disabled, or as he put it: “those who live at the mercy of others.” Apparently, his advocacy doesn’t extend to the day-to-day issues that really matter to people with disabilities, like jobs and health care.
To be fair, the agencies questioned in the article have said that employees will be retrained and given new assignments if necessary. However, it can take a worker with a disability a long time to build the system of supports that lead to success for that individual. Forcing a sudden job change is disruptive to both the worker and the employer. I realize that employees with disabilities can’t be shielded from every eventuality, but they deserve to be supported in their continuing quest for independence and integration.
