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Federal agencies will be obligated to set a goal of having people with disabilities account for 12% of their workforces by Jan 3, 2018, according to final regulations issued Tuesday by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The federal agencies are also obligated to set a goal of 2% for individuals with “target” disabilities, which are disabilities that pose the greatest barriers to employment, such as blindness, deafness, paralysis, convulsive disorders and mental illnesses, among others, the EEOC said in a statement.
The regulations, which do not impose any obligations on private businesses or state and local governments, were issued under Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act, which requires federal agencies to create affirmative action plans for the employment of the disabled, and to submit those plans to the EEOC for approval.
The EEOC sought public comment on how it should revise its regulations to clarify what an affirmative action plan must include in May 2014, and issued proposed regulations in February 2016.
The EEOC said the regulations, which consolidate existing requirements from a variety of sources, require federal agencies to provide personal assistance services to employees who need them to perform basic human activities at work, such as eating and using the restroom.
“Increasing employment rates for individuals with disabilities is a national priority for the federal government,” EEOC Chair Jenny Yang said in the statement. “These new regulations provide concrete steps and accountability mechanisms to promote employment and advancement opportunities for people with disabilities across the government. The federal government is committed to leading by example and creating a workplace where people with disabilities can thrive.”