Federal Exchange on Employment & Disability (FEED)

Are you a Federal Government employee who works on issues related to employment of people with disabilities? Join FEED! 

FEED is an interagency working group focused on information sharing, best practices and collaborative partnerships designed to make the Federal Government a model employer of people with disabilities. Members come from across all sectors of the Federal Government.

Who can join FEED?

Membership is open to federal employees at any level (please note that FEED membership is only open to Federal Government employees) whose job duties involve inclusion of people with disabilities, including:

• Recruitment
• Hiring
• Retention
• Advancement

FEED membership includes, but is not limited to:

• Disability Program Managers (DPMs)
• Diversity & Inclusion Managers
• EO and HR Specialists
• Reasonable Accommodation Coordinators
• Selective Placement Program Coordinators (SPPCs)
• Special Emphasis Program Managers
• 508 Coordinators
• Anyone else with a defined role/responsibility related to federal inclusion of people with disabilities

When does FEED meet, and what can I expect from the meetings?

FEED hosts quarterly virtual meetings on a variety of topics related to disability inclusion in the Federal Government. The meetings for 2024 are:

• February 14, 2024, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET
• April 17, 2024, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET
• June 12, 2024, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET
• September 11, 2024, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET

The meetings include presentations and discussions by federal agency representatives and others on topics related to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in the federal workforce, including:

• Use of the Schedule A hiring authority
• Best practices for self-identification as a way to reach agency recruitment and hiring goals
• Reasonable accommodations
• Personal assistance services (PAS)
• Regulatory updates
• Other workplace supports that ensure equal opportunity for people with disabilities in the federal workforce

How can members contribute to FEED?

It’s important to note that FEED is about more than just the exchange of ideas. Central to FEED’s mission is the development of a series of best practices for federal inclusion of people with disabilities, as well as easy-to-use products such as factsheets, checklists and guides that contain practical advice and real-life examples of how federal agencies are strengthening their disability inclusion policies, programs and practices. By being active FEED participants, members help their agencies meet affirmative action goals required by Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Who manages FEED?

FEED is managed by representatives from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and supported by the Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN). For additional resources on federal disability inclusion efforts, please visit EARN’s Section 501 Info Center.

How can I join FEED?

If you are a Federal Government employee, please fill out the form below to become a member of FEED and to receive information about upcoming quarterly meetings and other important updates.* For questions about FEED or if you are unable to register using the form below, please email earn@askearn.org. 

*You must be an employee of the U.S. Federal Government with a .gov, .mil, .us or .edu email address to join FEED. If you are not an employee of the U.S. Federal Government, please DO NOT fill out the form below.

FEED Membership Form

NOTE: You must have a .gov, .mil, .us, or .edu (federal agencies only) email address to join FEED.

* required

First Name* Last Name* Job Title* Agency* Office / Department* State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District Of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Europe Armed Forces Pacific Email* Phone

My current job duties include (check all that apply):

Managing or coordinating Human Resources (HR) programs or policies, such as recruitment and hiring, diversity and inclusion, affirmative action, etc.

Managing or coordinating employee training programs.

Managing or coordinating mentoring, internship or fellowship programs.

Managing issues related to accessibility or accommodations, such as handling requests for Reasonable Accommodations.

Developing or managing disability-related policies or programs.

Responding to Civil Rights or EEO complaints.

Managing agency Section 508 compliance efforts.

Other

Are your disability-related job duties part of your primary job or collateral duty? Primary Job Collateral Duty Both How did you hear about FEED? Submit