DOD Education Activity: Observations on Employment of Individuals with Disabilities
Fast Facts
Like other federal agencies, the Department of Defense Education Activity adopted goals of having a workforce of no less than 12% of employees with disabilities and 2% with targeted disabilities like deafness and paralysis.
In fiscal year 2024, DODEA did not meet these goals, according to agency data. For this Q&A, DODEA officials told us the agency is using a range of efforts to increase its employment, such as providing reasonable accommodations and using special appointment authorities to hire people with disabilities.
A person in a wheelchair teaching in a classroom
Highlights
What GAO Found
The Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) adopted goals of having a workforce in which no less than 12 percent of employees are people with disabilities and 2 percent are people with targeted disabilities. Targeted disabilities include traumatic brain injuries, deafness, blindness, and partial or complete paralysis, among others. In fiscal year 2024, the agency did not meet its disability employment goals. About 900 DODEA employees had disabilities (6.06 percent), and almost 160 had targeted disabilities (1.07 percent), according to the agency's fiscal year 2024 data.
DODEA officials told GAO the agency uses a range of efforts to support and increase employment for people with disabilities across different stages of their careers. For example, agency officials said they attend recruiting events targeted to veterans with disabilities. DODEA uses special appointment authorities to increase hiring of people with disabilities who meet eligibility requirements, according to agency officials. Officials also said that providing reasonable accommodations helps the agency retain and advance employees with disabilities. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a reasonable accommodation is a change in the way things are normally done, such as an accessible workstation, that allows an individual with a disability to apply for a job, do a job, or enjoy equal access to the benefits and privileges of employment.
Why GAO Did This Study
DODEA employs teachers and a range of support staff to provide educational services in schools it operates around the world for the dependents of military service members and civilian Department of Defense (DOD) employees. In fiscal year 2024, DODEA employed more than 14,000 people. DODEA supports the employment of individuals with disabilities through the joint effort of the agency's Human Resources Division and Equal Employment Opportunity Programs Division.
Federal law and regulations require covered federal agencies, including DOD, to promote equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities with respect to federal employment. Agencies must develop plans for hiring, placement, and advancement of people with disabilities, and the plans must require the agency to adopt procedures for providing reasonable accommodations. As part of these plans, agencies must commit to the goal of having a workforce in which no less than 12 percent of employees are people with disabilities and at least 2 percent are people with targeted disabilities.
The Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 includes a provision for GAO to review DODEA's employment of people with disabilities. This report provides information about whether the agency is meeting its goals, and how it supports the employment, retention, and career advancement of people with intellectual, physical, and developmental disabilities.
For more information, contact Elizabeth Curda at CurdaE@gao.gov.