Have you ever thought about working for the government?

Do you know that there are federal government employment initiatives specifically for people with disabilities? Today, we'll be talking about 2 of those that you may want to investigate.

While the Ticket to Work (Ticket) program is not a direct hiring program, it can help connect you to job search resources and special hiring programs for individuals with disabilities. Because Ticket program service providers have specialized job placement expertise, consider contacting a provider to help you take advantage of these initiatives.

What are these Federal Employment Initiatives?

There are two types of initiatives. One leads to jobs directly working in the government; the other is aimed at jobs working with organizations that contract with the government.

Federal Employment — Schedule A

Schedule A gives the federal government permission to hire people with significant disabilities for jobs within the federal government without requiring them to compete against non-disabled jobseekers for those positions. Federal agencies hire Schedule A employees on a probationary basis. This means that Schedule A employees work on a trial basis. If they have earned positive reviews for their job performance at the end of the trial period, they may be eligible for conversion to a career-conditional appointment within competitive service.

Employment with Federal Contractors — Section 503

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 has supported individuals with disabilities for more than 40 years by prohibiting the federal government and businesses that do work with the government from discriminating on the basis of disability.

Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, which was revised in 2014, prohibits businesses that do work with the government from discriminating against people with disabilities and requires these employers to take positive steps to recruit, hire, train, promote and retain people with disabilities.

These rules create more job opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Your Ticket program service provider may help connect you with these opportunities in your area.

Learn more about Section 503 in our Section 503 Frequently Asked Questions or listen to our Ticket Talk podcast, New Revised Regulations Create a Brighter Future for You, which highlights a few facts about the new regulations that every Social Security disability beneficiary who is exploring their work options should know.

Join us for the next webinar!

During this month's Work Incentive Seminar Event (WISE) webinar, we'll be taking a closer look at Schedule A and Section 503, among other types of opportunities. Join us on March 25, 2020, from 3 - 4:30 p.m. ET. Register today!