The Central Intelligence Agency has been named the "Public Sector Employer of the Year" by CAREERS & the disABLED Magazine. The plaque noting the award was accepted on behalf of the CIA by Chase Brandon of the Agency's Office of Public Affairs at the publication's EXPO 1998 in Anaheim, California, May 28-31. The Magazine's citation reads as follows:

"To ensure that all of its employees reach their full potential, the CIA has created a user- friendly environment where people with disabilities can persevere in a wide array of career disciplines. The agency is committed to having 2% of its population be people with disabilities.

"One of the CIA's major initiatives to bring people with disabilities into its pipeline is its internship program, which offers an opportunity for a satisfying and rewarding job that allows individuals to gain work experience while contributing to the overall mission of the agency. The program provides a 13-month contractual work experience for individuals with disabilities. Selected individuals are given the opportunity to work up to 39 hours per week in offices throughout the CIA to obtain skills and experiences for future use. The program affords participants with on-the-job training in the following areas: economics, technology, printing, foreign language, security, personnel, engineering, finance, communications, logistics, budget, physical science, and foreign area studies.

"CIA interns receive a salary commensurate with their background and skills. They also receive sick leave and annual leave, health insurance and life insurance, and retirement benefits, including voluntary investment opportunities. Positions for CIA interns are primarily located throughout the Northern Virginia area. The program matches individuals with locations and positions that can reasonably accommodate selected candidates, whenever possible. For more information about the internship program, contact the CIA at DA Diversity--2U19 NHB, Washington, DC 20205; 703/874-4236.

"Finding the right accommodations for people with disabilities at the CIA is centered at the Adaptive Technology Employee Resource and Information Center (ATERIC), which will coordinate services required for staff members with disabilities. Examples of adpative[sic] technology include text to speech, text and computer screen enlargement, Braille access to Windows, Braille printers, and Braille Note Takers for people who are blind or who have low vision; TTY technology, audio enhancement, computer-aided note taking, and captioning for employees who are deaf and hard-of-hearing; ergonomic furniture, keyboards, and alternative keyboards for people who have repetitive motion injury; and wheelchairs, scooters, voice input, and head motion input for people who have mobility limitations.

To further educate its employees, the CIA sponsors off-site "Intelligence Community Conference on Disabilities" conferences where CIA administrators and guest speakers make the attendees aware of new developments in technology and current issues in the workforce affecting people with disabilities. The conferences are spearheaded by the agency's DA Deaf and Employees With Disabilities Advisory Panel. This year's conference included addresses by Virginia Lt. Governor John H. Hager, a wheelchair user, and actor Lou Ferrigno, who has a hearing impairment."