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 whose job duties involve inclusion of people with disabilities, including:
- Recruitment;
- Hiring;
- Retention; and
- 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; and
- 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 meets quarterly; meetings include presentations, breakout discussions and roundtables on important emerging topics related to federal disability inclusion efforts, 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; and
- 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 fact sheets, 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?
Please fill out the form below to become a member of FEED and to receive information about upcoming FEED meetings and other important updates*. For questions about FEED or if you are unable to register using the form below, please email askearn@cornell.edu.
*You must have a .gov, .mil, .us, or .edu (federal agencies only) email address to join FEED.
Related News
- The Relationship between Federal Agency Disability Practice and Employee Outcomes
- Federal Agency Recruiting and Outreach: The Role of Accessible Online Content
- The Federal Government as a Model Employer of People with Disabilities: Research-Based Practices and Strategies
- Federal Agency Employment Strategies: A Framework for Disability Inclusion
- Save the Date! FEED Meeting, February 25, 2020
- Service Animals, What Federal Employers Should Know
- EEOC and OPM Announce Resources for Disability Self-Identification Efforts
- EARN Webinar: Reasonable Accommodations: The Foundation for a Disability-Inclusive Federal Workforce
- FEED Community of Practice
- EEOC Issues New Personal Assistance Services (PAS) Guide for Federal Agencies
- EEOC PAS Guide
Meeting Materials
- September 10, 2020 FEED Meeting Agenda
- June 30, 2020 FEED Meeting Agenda
- April 30, 2020 FEED Meeting Agenda
- February 25, 2020 FEED Meeting Agenda
- September 19, 2019 FEED Meeting Notes
- September 19, 2019 FEED Meeting Transcript
- September 19, 2019 FEED Meeting Agenda
- June 13, 2019 FEED Meeting Agenda
- June 13, 2019 FEED Meeting Notes
- June 13, 2019 FEED Meeting Presentation (PDF)
- June 13, 2019 FEED Meeting Transcript
- April 4, 2019 FEED Meeting Agenda
- April 4, 2019 FEED Meeting Notes
- April 4, 2019 FEED Meeting Transcript
- November 8, 2018 FEED Meeting Agenda
- November 8, 2018 FEED Meeting Notes
- November 8, 2018 FEED Meeting Presentation (PDF)
- November 8, 2018 FEED Meeting Transcript
- July 26, 2018 FEED Meeting Agenda
- July 26, 2018 FEED Meeting Notes
- July 26, 2018 FEED Meeting Transcript
- March 8, 2018 FEED Meeting Agenda
- March 8, 2018 FEED Meeting Notes
- March 8, 2018 FEED Meeting Presentations
- FEED Meeting Notes – July 20, 2017
- FEED Meeting Notes – April 19, 2017
- FEED Meeting Notes – November 2, 2017