Reflections from a Career in Public Service on The Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

Federal government attorneys hear negative chatter about “the swamp,” bloated bureaucracy, and even those “lazy feds.” Somehow serving the American people in government has become negative. Throughout our history as Americans, both Democratic and Republican administrations have opposed those untruths and have actively promoted community service and volunteerism. Arguably, it is an honor to “ask not what one’s country can do for him or her but what one can do for their country.” As lawyers, we need this call to public service, and a diverse response, more now than ever.

I was able to answer this call, due to the combination of the ADA and the Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF) Program.

In the span of my own career as a government lawyer, there has been a pronounced effort to increase the inclusion of people with disabilities in public service. President Obama issued Increasing Employment of Individuals with Disabilities in Federal Employment, Executive Order No. 13548 in July of 2010. This executive order sets forth important goals and metrics for the hiring and retention of employees with disabilities.

Likewise, the PMF program was a tool for opening doors to public service for professionals like me who have disabilities. This program has a two-year timeframe. The PMF program has a “may convert” criterion providing an opportunity to obtain valuable career development experiences and training, while networking with diverse, talented, service-committed professionals across the government. (See sidebar for more information about the PMF program).

A lawyer with a disability will encounter both positive and negative experiences in building a long-term career. As the data shows, they will confront and will need to respond to bias and discrimination. To be a balanced, healthy person, they must find ways of rising above perpetually lowered expectations. Easier encouraged than practiced, I know. However, the ADA and the PMF helped me to both grow professionally and to overcome some of these challenges.

As a Fellow, PMF provided me with unique opportunities. I enjoyed the opportunity of working in various assignments as a policy analyst and in a legal role, while confronting challenges as a lawyer with a guide dog.
 

1. Networking and Becoming Known. Fellows enjoy significant opportunities to learn together and to network. This includes specialized trainings or even weekend long retreats. Mr. Langer (my first guide dog) and I really learned to rely on each other quickly in these situations, simultaneously building a unique brand as the lawyer with a disability partnered with “that little yellow dog” at the public meeting or at the cocktail reception. 
2. Rotation and Negotiation. A Fellow may perform developmental rotations or temporary duty assignments. While this could prove a challenge for any Fellow, for me, this often involved the balance of diplomacy, negotiation, and coordination to obtain and then quickly implement my reasonable accommodations as I moved from position to position. I even performed two rotations outside my hiring agency, one of which involved a temporary relocation back to my home state of Ohio. As a blind person, I rely on reasonable accommodations, such as text-to-speech software, that verbalizes a computer screen to me. Not all of those negotiations were smooth ones, even in pro-disability offices. It was frustrating to feel “othered,” especially while trying to excel in line with my peers, but I gained several partners along the way whom I would not have met without the Fellowship.
3. Intentional Development. A Fellow is required to develop and maintain what is called an Individual Development Plan. Our coordinator introduced us to possible mentors who helped us to create a two-year mind-map. After a series of informational interviews, I partnered with a long-term mentor both during and after the fellowship — one who understood the benefit of diversity of experience. During our bi-weekly lunches in his office, he also instilled in me the importance of having a balanced life as a public servant.
    

The PMF program provided me a rich experience — one that gave me the critical tools to be a conscientious and committed public servant. I recommend it to other law students or young lawyers with or without disabilities, as well as hiring managers seeking motivated, flexible professionals.

As I sit in my home office drafting this article, I reflect on both my past and my present: my father’s old bookcase from his office at LTV Steel and the U.S. flag presented at his funeral in honor of his service as a U.S. Marine, my digital files from my current position at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and my third dog partner, Bowie. Vital experiences, the people I’ve met, progressive and inclusionary laws, and my own talents and contributions will enhance my next service opportunity. To sustain our progress as a more diverse republic and profession, it is certain that we need a renewed call to public service — one that truly invites those with visible and invisible disabilities to reach their fullest potential — as they answer the call to serve.
 

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Source: Presidential Management Alumni Association