In support of President Bush's new Freedom Initiative, intended to integrate people with disabilities into the national work force, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has launched a web site aimed at making the search for federal jobs easier for men and women with disabilities.

OPM Director Kay Coles James said the launch of the site (www.opm.gov/disability) would assist the Administration in its efforts to remove barriers to employment for people with disabilities."The Administration is committed to bringing the very best talent into government, so it is important that we tap into the valuable resources that are available among those with disabilities," said James.

OPM's disability web site offers information in clear and understandable language on federal job opportunities, accommodation issues, benefits and telecommuting. The web site also contains an E-learning training module for managers on reasonable accommodation, as well as information on laws and executive orders on disability employment.

Web site users can also find a directory listing of all the Selective Placement Program coordinators at the various federal agencies. These coordinators help their agency recruit, hire, and accommodate the needs of employees with disabilities. The OPM disability web site provides advice on working with Selective Placement Program coordinators.

Bush's Freedom Initiative, announced in February 2001, expresses the president's commitment to "tearing down barriers to equality" for Americans with disabilities in education, the work force, and daily community life. The full text of the Freedom Initiative is available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/freedominitiative/freedominitiative.html

Additional information about the initiative, including progress reports on its implementation, is available at: http://cms.hhs.gov/newfreedom/

In 2001, the federal government employed nearly 21,000 people with a disability.

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