AGENDA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP05T00644R000200660028-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 16, 2009
• Sequence Number: 28
• Content Type: MISC

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Agenda
Issues for discussion with the DCI in the
order in which they are to be discussed:
I.' Attitudes
1. Management
2. Employee
II. Sign Language Interpreters
III., Accessibility of Buildings/Safety Procedures
IV. Work-related Transportation
Addendum - Special Problems with No Specific
Solution
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persons and disabled veterans is required by Public Law 93-112
(Rehabilitation Act of 1973), and by Public Law 93-508 (Vietnam
Era Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974). Since enactment of
these laws, and in accordance with them, the Agency has had
affirmative action plans designed to implement the principles
of the handicapped program. While much has been accomplished
in removing architectural barriers, establishing recruitment
contacts, refining procedures and identifying problem areas,
this Task Force believes that special attention needs to be
paid to the items outlined in this paper in addition to the
objectives of the Agency's affirmative action plan for 1978.
We have targeted the following areas:
I. Attitudes
A. Problem: Overcoming myths and stereotype atti-
tudes related to utilization of handicapped and
disabled persons.
1. Managerial Attitude. There is a lack
of understanding on the part of supervisors of
the needs of handicapped persons. One example of
this is not wishing to hire such persons because
their perception of the needs to.make special
accommodations, e.g., communication devices for
the deaf; space accommodations for wheelchairs,
Affirmative action to employ, place, and advance handicapped
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etc. This attitude has overshadowed the actual
need of the majority of handicapped persons who
require no particular special accommodations. This
attitude tends to ward off the manager toward
any attempts of bringing handicapped persons into
an office environment.
Solution: Encourage and endorse the implementa-
tion of the CSC Workshop, "Successful Supervision
of Handicapped Employees," with specific emphasis
to be placed on Section I which covers, Who are
the handicapped? What do I think of them? What
are the actual facts about them as employees? What
is Selective Placement? What assistance is availa-
ble in placing a handicapped individual? What is
my role?, and Section III which covers How do I
supervise a handicapped employee? What should I do
differently? What should I tell my other employees?
What should I do if the handicapped employee isn't
performing adequately? What adjustments will I. have
to make if I hire a handicapped employee? The in-
corporation of the proposed program into ongoing
management courses would be left to the discretion
of the Director of Training. This is an objective of
the 1978 Affirmative Action Plan.
2. Employee Attitude: Some handicapped employees
are apprehensive of discussing problems arising from
-2-
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their handicap with supervisors and others in an
official capacity.
Solution:
1. Restructure the Handicapped Advisory Com-
mittee and expand the committee as necessary to
assist and assume the role of informal advisors
similar to the MAG structure.
2. Publicize the existence of the Handicapped
Program and the Committee through means less formal
than Headquarters notices. Such means could take.
the form of posters and displays and newsletters
published by the Committee, the purpose of which
is to increase handicapped employees' awareness of
available resources.
II. Sign Language Interpreters
Problem: Deaf employees do not have access to
certified sign language interpreters who have the
appropriate security clearances in order to participate
fully in training programs, interviews, conferences,
and briefings. Additionally, there is a need for some-
one skilled in the fundamentals of sign language to
assist on a daily basis in the employee's office.
Solution:
1. Recommend that a fully certified fulltime sign
language interpreter be hired and possibly administered
by OP in a flexible assignment with the capacity to be
utilized by both OTR and OP for their respective needs.
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2. Train Agency employees who have a need for
a sign language skill on a day-to-day basis.
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III. Accessibility of Buildings/Safety Procedures
There are many items concerning building modifications
which have been given excellent attention by the Handicapped
Program and there are existing emergency evacuation plans
which do cover the needs of the handicapped to some extent.
Several items in these areas, however, still require further
special and immediate attention.
1. Non-headquarters Agency buildings and training
facilities are not accessible to the disabled for working or
training purposes due to lack of handicapped modified bath-
rooms, entrances, ramps or elevators where necessary.
2. Headquarters building has only one entrance exit
which is even with the ground level. This situation not
only presents a definite problem to employees whose mobility
is impaired when that employee's office is located on the
opposite side of the building, but is a safety hazard in an
emergency situation.
3. Emergency evacuation plans for Agency buildings place
too great an amount of responsibility on individuals in the
handicapped employee's office and on the guard force. These
persons are not always physically equipped or knowledgeable
enough to handle the various circumstances which could be en-
countered. Additionally, there is no provision to alert deaf
employees to an emergency evacuation condition.
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Solution
Problems 1 and 2
Organize a survey team consisting of the coordinator
of the handicapped committee, an advisory committee
member, a representative from the building Manager's
office,-'safety officer, and a GSA Representative to
visit all Agency building cites and propose specific
modifications for the most immediate and expeditious
resolution of these problems.
Problem 3
Request that the Safety Officer revamp existing
evacuation plans to levy responsibility on office
personnel,emergency evacuation wardens, and the guard
force only to insure that handicapped employees are
directed to designated locations on each floor of each
agency building for evacuation instructions. This
location will depend upon availability of designated
elevator service in buildings where auxillery power is
or is not available and so the plan must vary from
building to building. An additional warden must be
assigned to each designated location to assist in
the event of an actual evacuation, otherwise it is
not believed necessary for the handicapped employee
to actually evacuate under test conditions.
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In the event of an actual emergency, as in the
case of apartment buildings,the local fire department
should be briefed on all designated handicapped floor
locations, and fire department personnel should
perform the actual evacuation due to their particular
expertise with the evacuation of disabled persons.
Additionally, flashing lights should be installed
when possible in all offices where Agency employees
are assigned and also in Agency restrooms and at
strategic locations in Agency corridors to alert deaf
employees of evacuation. Wardens should be instructed
to inspect all rooms including restrooms, store rooms,
and exercise rooms.
IV. Work Related Transportation
Problem
Currently there is no provision for special trans-
portation to enable handicapped employees to attend work
related conferences, interviews, meetings, or training
courses as in the case of shuttle services for non-
disabled employees.
Solution
Recommend Agency invest in a medically approved
van equipped with lift and wheelchair tie-downs to be
used for the work-related transportation of Agency
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handicapped personnel and for necessary emergency
purposes. Vehicle should be under the jurisdiction..
of the Motor Pool and scheduling should be arranged
by the handicapped employee's office. Expense for
outfitting such a vehicle should not exceed $5,000,
excluding the cost of the vehicle.
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ADDENDUM FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Special Problems with No Specific Solution
You have now reviewed the items cited in the
first part of this paper and'at this point you may
have reached the conclusion that the problems out-
lined so far are not insurmountable nor particularly
grave. We have selected this particular group fcr
your attention, however, because resolutions of these
problems considerably strengthen the handicapped
program in those areas which are so very basic not
only to those disabled personnel who are currently
on board, but to those future qualified applicants
program but which have apparently been unnoticed
employment.
The group discussed many things in addition to
the selected items. Some of our discussions centered
on the many notices and publications which have been
sent throughout the Agency, informing personnel of the
or ignored; we discussed the grievance procedures
which employees, for one reason or another, do not
always seek to take advantage of, but which we feel
would serve the purpose if used appropriately; we
discussed the very frustrating problem of,not being
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able to identify all currently employed handicapped
personnel thereby assuring that all viewpoints have
been fairly represented. Since these problems
are primarily based on individual human responses
or fears, we concluded that it would serve no purpose
to present them as soluble problems at this time,
but by strengthening the program through implementation
of our recommendations the resulting effect may actually
help to resolve them without recourse to further
action.
There were two specific problems that were raised
during our discussion, however, which appeared to be
strictly confined to the personal experiences of two
members of the group, and were specifically oriented
to their respective. offices.
We felt these experiences
to be significant and cite them for discussion by the
persons involved.
1. Built-in Discrimination Against Handicapped
Employees in the Competitive Evaluation System
Problem: In components that have overseas
requirements, the handicapped employees are at a dis-
advantage in the Competitive Evaluation System by not
receiving ratings or receiving negative ratings in
assignability or adaptability areas. The employee is
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aware that this exists in his component, and believes
it may also occur in others.
2. Descrimination Due to Speech Defect
One member of the group indicated that he believes
her slight speech defect affects his. superiors in their
were assigned to these roles. He further indicated
that a change in superiors brought further the comment
after a time from his new supervisor that the new
supervisor had been informed that this employee was a
troublemaker, but the new supervisor could not.under-
stand why he had been told this since he had found this
was not the case. Although the employee did not avail
himself of existing grievance procedures at the time,
his reasons for not doing so were enlightening and this
incident highlights the hidden bias which is so difficult
for the handicapped employee to effectively deal with
without assistance.
utilizing of his expertise for various briefings (which
he described as being part of his job) and others less qualified
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