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 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 at various federal agencies in the Washington, D.C. area; members outside of D.C. are invited to attend meetings via teleconference. FEED meetings include presentations, breakout discussions and roundtables on important emerging topics related to federal disability inclusion efforts, including:

Recent updates to Section 501 regulations;
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); and
Other workplace supports that ensure equal opportunity for people with disabilities in the federal workforce.

What are expectations for FEED members?

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.

To enhance their involvement in FEED, members can:

Volunteer to host future FEED meetings at their agency;
Serve on workgroups;
Share best practices their agency is using to recruit, hire, retain and advance people with disabilities; and
Assist with the development of resources such as fact sheets and publications.

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.

Meeting Materials

FEED Membership Form

First Name Last Name
Title
Agency
Office / Department
State
Email Address
Phone Number
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?
How did you hear about FEED?

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Meeting Materials

FEED Membership Form

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