Deaf Federal Employees What Next? Khadijat K. Rashid, Ph.D. - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

SLIDE 1

Today’s Political Climate and Deaf Federal Employees – What Next?

Khadijat K. Rashid, Ph.D. Gallaudet University Washington DC 20002

SLIDE 2

Today’s Political Climate

• In a word – gridlock
• Congress has issues with federal

employees

• Freezing or cutting pay
• Cutting number of Feds
• Increasing pension contributions
• Etc

SLIDE 3

Impact on Deaf Federal Employees

• # deaf people in government is

discouraging – about 0.0023%!

• Statistics – high of 5639 in 1997 to

current ~4500

• No deaf people in SES
• Disproportionate number of college

educated deaf in government

SLIDE 4

Fiscal Year (FY) Total Perm. Work Force (PWF) Employees with Targeted Disabilities # % Change from Prior FY # % Change from Prior FY % of PWF 1985 2,892,225 2.70% 29,282 8.46% 1.01% 1986 2,894,732 0.09% 30,320 3.54% 1.05% 1987 2,943,878 1.70% 32,149 6.03% 1.09% 1988 2,790,287

• 5.22%

30,736

• 4.40%

1.10% 1989 2,807,546 0.62% 31,956 3.97% 1.14% 1990 2,786,143

• 0.76%

32,145 0.59% 1.15% 1991 2,772,396

• 0.49%

32,950 2.50% 1.19% 1992 2,737,331

• 1.26%

33,379 1.30% 1.22% 1993 2,656,033

• 2.97%

32,989

• 1.17%

1.24% 1994 2,616,393

• 1.49%

32,337

• 1.98%

1.24% 1995 2,512,776

• 3.96%

30,185

• 6.65%

1.20% 1996 2,532,507 0.79% 29,930

• 0.84%

1.18% 1997 2,475,761

• 2.24%

28,671

• 4.21%

1.16% 1998 2,479,199 0.14% 28,035

• 2.22%

1.14% 1999 2,462,152

• 0.69%

27,601

• 1.55%

1.13% 2000 2,442,643

• 0.79%

27,231

• 1.34%

1.12% 2001 2,445,335 0.11% 26,834

• 1.46%

1.10% 2002 2,459,505 0.58% 26,230

• 2.25%

1.07% 2003 2,428,330

• 1.27%

25,551

• 2.59%

1.05% 2004 2,437,458 0.38% 24,816

• 2.87%

1.02% 2005 2,441,287 0.16% 24,086

• 2.94%

0.99% 2006 2,432,314

• 0.37%

23,490

• 2.47%

0.97%

Permanent Employees with Targeted Disabilities in the Federal Work Force FY 1985 – FY 2006

Source: http://www.eeoc.go v/federal/reports/pw td.html#SecIIE

SLIDE 5

It gets even worse…(most recent #)

• How many deaf employees in

highest GS-levels?

• How many agencies have NO deaf

employees? (first link)

• How many in SES? (second link)
• How does deaf Feds’ average GS

employees compare to hearing?

SLIDE 6

Why these dismal numbers?

• Incorrect perception of required

investment in assistive devices

• Fear of difference
• Ease of fudging numbers on

disability

• Worry about the cost of hiring

interpreters on a regular basis

SLIDE 7

Dismal numbers, continued:

• Perception of deaf people –
• Difficult and demanding
• Communication issues
• Lack of needed literacy and

numeracy skills

• Need more “soft” skills on unwritten
• ffice etiquette
• Attitude of some deaf people to work

SLIDE 8

So…do-do?

• President Obama’s Executive Order # 13548 of

July 26, 2010 “Increasing Federal Employment

• f Individuals With Disabilities”
• Deaf people as a bloc are too small –

statistically insignificant. MUST reach out.

• Need to build alliances across government –
• White House
• Senate
• House
• OPM
• EEOC

SLIDE 9

Potential Alliances within Gov’t

• Blacks in Government – www.bignet.org
• National Association of Hispanic

Federal Executives: www.nahfe.org

• Federally Employed women: www.few.org
• Federal Globe (Gay, Lesbian and

Transgender employees): www.fedglobe.org

• And so on…

SLIDE 10

Potential Alliances Outside Government

• NAD
• AG Bell
• Minority Organizations
• Make friends with media
• Establish relationships with

Gallaudet, NTID, SWCID etc

SLIDE 11

Other ways to change the future –

• Attitudinal issues
• Training – SES training during

DHHIG sessions

• Interpreter issues
• Technical issues – reasonable

accommodations vs. security, access vs. privacy, etc.

SLIDE 12

Other ways to change the future –

• Attitudinal issues
• Training – SES training during

DHHIG sessions

• Interpreter issues
• Technical issues – reasonable

accommodations vs. security, access vs. privacy, etc.

SLIDE 13

Thank you! Questions, comments and discussion?