LEAD Initiative

LEAD (Leadership for the Employment of Americans with Disabilities) is the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's initiative to address the declining number of employees with targeted disabilities in the federal workforce. The goal for this initiative is to significantly increase the population of individuals with severe disabilities employed by the federal government. For additional information on LEAD, visit: http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/initiatives/lead/index.cfm

Using the Schedule A appointing authority, found at 5 CFR § 213.3102(u), qualified candidates who meet the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) guidelines can be hired non-competitively and meet the goals of the LEAD initiative.

February 21, 2013. OPM Issues Final Rule to Simplify Schedule A Hiring Authority for Persons with Disabilities. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued final regulations pertaining to a special hiring authority for the appointment of persons with certain disabilities. The final rule for “Excepted Service – Appointment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, Severe Physical Disabilities, and Psychiatric Disabilities,” also known as “Schedule A Hiring Authority,” simplifies the hiring process for job applicants with disabilities who have work, educational, or other relevant experience, by relieving them of the burden of procuring “certificates of readiness” as a condition of appointment.

For Schedule A information:

Schedule A for the Hiring Manager - PDF | HTML
Schedule A for the HR Professional - PDF | HTML
Schedule A for the Disability Program Manager - PDF | HTML
Schedule A for the Service Provider - PDF | HTML
Schedule A for the Job Applicant - PDF | HTML

For additional Federal hiring information:

Learn more at USAJobs - Individuals with Disabilities.