Employment for People with Disabilities

CDC is committed to providing a progressive environment for people with disabilities. We embrace an open culture of inclusion and respect to cultivate ideas, devise solutions and ultimately increase the health security of our nation.

We have created and continually enhance a culture that encourages collaboration, flexibility and fairness to enable individuals to contribute to their full potential apart from their physical disability.

Appointing Authorities for Persons with Disabilities

Schedule A

The Schedule A appointing authority for persons with disabilities, 5 CFR 213.3102(u), is an Excepted Service authority that agencies can use to hire individuals with severe physical disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, and intellectual disabilities.

Agencies can use this authority, at their discretion, to appoint you at any grade level and for any job (time-limited or permanent) for which you qualify. After a two-year (2) trial period of satisfactory performance, the supervisor, at their discretion, may convert you without competition to the Competitive Service. There is no limit to the number of times you can apply under this authority.

The Schedule A Hiring Authority allows Persons with a Disability to apply for jobs either through a noncompetitive or competitive hiring process.

• The noncompetitive hiring process allows an applicant to use the USAJOBS Agency Talent Portal (ATP) to submit their resumes for consideration for any non-advertised jobs.
• The competitive hiring process allows an applicant to apply to any job announcements open to Persons with Disabilities.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible, you must:

• Meet the criteria of disability as defined by OPM Job Seekers with Disabilities, AND
• Show proof of your disability.
  • Documentation may be from any licensed medical professional (a physician or other medical professional certified by a State, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. Territory to practice medicine), a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (State or private), or any Federal or State agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits.
  • The required documentation may be combined in one letter or you can provide it in separate letters. Please refer to the following Sample Schedule A Letters at: OPM Sample Schedule A Letter for Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals.
  • HHS policy requires that we verify the authenticity of a Schedule A letter if it is provided from a medical professional. Therefore, if you are selected, a human resources representative will contact the medical professional to obtain written verification of the Schedule A letter’s authenticity before extending you an official offer of employment.

Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA) Authority

The VRA is a special authority by which agencies can, if they wish, appoint eligible veterans without competition to positions at any grade level through General Schedule (GS) 11 or equivalent. (The promotion potential of the position is not a factor.) VRA appointees are hired under excepted appointments to positions that are otherwise in the competitive service. There is no limitation to the number of VRA appointments an individual may receive, provided the individual is otherwise eligible.

If the agency has more than one VRA candidate for the same job and one (or more) is a preference eligible, the agency must apply the Veterans’ preference procedures prescribed in 5 CFR Part 302 in making VRA appointments. A veteran who is eligible for a VRA appointment is not automatically eligible for Veterans’ preference.

After two years of satisfactory service, the agency must convert the veteran to career or career-conditional appointment, as appropriate.

Eligibility Requirements

Visit the OPM Policy, Data, Oversight Veterans Services page for more information.

30 Percent or More Disabled Veteran

An agency may give a noncompetitive temporary appointment of more than 60 days or a term appointment to any veteran:

• retired from active military service with a disability rating of 30 percent or more; or
• rated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) since 1991 or later to include disability determinations from a branch of the Armed Forces at any time, as having a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more.

There is no grade level limitation for this authority, but the appointee must meet all qualification requirements, including any written test requirement.

The agency may convert the employee, without a break in service, to a career or career-conditional appointment at any time during the employee’s temporary or term appointment.

Eligibility Requirements

Visit the OPM Policy, Data, Oversight Veterans Services page for more information.

How to be considered for positions

Persons with disabilities are encouraged to upload their resumes through the USAJOBS Agency Talent Portal (ATP) make it searchable and identify the series you want to be considered for.

CDC is using the USAJOBS ATP functionality as a tool to readily identify, find, and recruit talent. You will not be automatically hired for a position but may be contacted via email to inform you of positions that are currently open and available. This also enhances your opportunities to be considered for positions across Federal agencies.

This fully automated system allows you to:

• build your resumes in the system
• upload your resumes
• maintain up to five resumes tailored to specific job series

In addition, you can make your resume “searchable,” enabling HR professionals and hiring managers to find you if you are a fit for their needs.

To set up your account on usajobs.gov, visit the links below:

• How to create a USAJOBS account 
• How to make your account searchable 
• FAQs

Once you have set up your USAJOBS.gov account, you can visit jobs.cdc.gov to view vacancy announcements.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The ATP only allows resumes to be uploaded at this time. DO NOT upload any other documents in the ATP, such as the Schedule A letter(s), transcripts, DD214, etc. If additional documents are needed, a human resources representative will contact you directly to request them.

Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation

To request a reasonable accommodation in response to a job announcement, contact the Human Resources Office three business days before the closing date of the announcement.

• Email: hrcs@cdc.gov
• Phone:(770) 488-1725 [TTY/TDD (770)488-1228]

Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To obtain a copy of the CDC Reasonable Accommodations Policy, call the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity at (770) 488-3210.

Resources:

• HHS policy
• OPM Schedule-A-Hiring-Authority
• USAJOBS Individuals with disabilities resources
• USAJOBS – Events