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Tennessee Disability Emphasis Program (DEPM)

The Disability Emphasis Program was established at the Department of Agriculture to address the unique concerns of person with disabilities in achieving equal opportunity in all employment and program delivery activities.

As an integral part of the State Civil Rights Advisory Committee, the Disability Emphasis Program Manager (DEPM) provides guidance, oversight, and training to managers and employees, and outreach to customers. The goal is to raise the awareness on issues related to employment, reasonable accommodations, and barriers.

My role as the DEPM is to advise management and human resources of issues on the national and state programs, opportunities, and concerns, as well as provide confidential assistance to employees within the state.

Please feel free to contact me: Kim Johnson or (615) 277-2574.

Reasonable Accommodation

Sometimes it is necessary for Federal hiring officials to make a reasonable workplace accommodation for a person with a disability, if requested and appropriate (unless so doing will result in undue hardship to the agencies). Reasonable accommodation can apply to the duties of the job, and/or where and how job tasks are performed. The accommodation should make it easier for the employee to successfully perform the duties of the position. Examples of reasonable accommodations include providing interpreters, readers, or other personal assistance; modifying job duties; restructuring work sites; providing flexible work schedules or work sites; and providing accessible technology or other workplace adaptive equipment.

An individual can request reasonable accommodation either orally or in writing. Individuals who need reasonable accommodation are responsible for making their needs known to their supervisors. The supervisor and the individual should clarify the individual's needs, and identify the appropriate reasonable accommodation required to meet those needs.

Resources

This section contains a variety of resources related to the employment of people with disabilities.

Federal Organizations

DisabilityInfo.gov DisabilityInfo.gov provides quick and easy access to comprehensive information about disability programs, services, laws and benefits.
Section508.gov Section 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, to make available new opportunities for people with disabilities, and to encourage development of technologies that will help achieve these goals.
National Council on Disability (NCD) NCD provides advice to the President, Congress, and Executive Branch agencies to promote policies, programs, practices, and procedures that guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities.

Federal Agencies

U.S. Access Board The Access Board is an independent Federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities.
TARGET Center Provides assistive technology and ergonomic solutions to assist U.S. Department of Agriculture employees with disabilities.
Employment Laws Equal Employment Opportunity listing of laws which prohibit job discrimination.
WomensHealth.gov The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides information for women with disabilities, caretakers, health professionals, and researchers.
Workforce Recruitment Program The Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities (WRP) is a resource for Federal agencies and private businesses nationwide to identify qualified temporary and permanent employees from a variety of fields.
Disability Employment Policy The Office of Disability Employment Policy, at the U.S. Department of Labor, provides national leadership by developing and influencing disability-related employment policy and practice affecting the employment of people with disabilities.
Ticket to Work Program Disability Employment Policy
Ticket to Work Program The Ticket to Work Program provides most people receiving Social Security benefits (beneficiaries) more choices for receiving employment services. Under this program the Social Security Administration (SSA) issues ticket to eligible beneficiaries who, in turn, may choose to assign those tickets to an Employment Network (EN) of their choice to obtain employment services, vocational rehabilitation services, or other support services necessary to achieve a vocational (work) goal.
Disability Resource Center The Disability Resource Center supports the U.S. Department of Transportation in the employment, advancement, and retention of people with disabilities through the use of state-of-the-art technology and proactive customer services.
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment The Department of Veterans Affair's Veterans Benefits Administration's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) service is vested with delivering timely, effective vocational rehabilitation services to veterans with service-connected disabilities.

Kim Johnson (DEPM)
Human Resources Manager, NRCS, Nashville, TN

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