Memorandum on Employment of Handicapped Persons by the Federal Government.

[Released May 13, 1964. Dated April 30, 1964]

Memorandum to Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies:

This Government as an employer intends to show the Nation what can be done to make fuller use of the abilities of handicapped persons--with mutual benefit to those persons, the agencies that employ them, and the public. The handicapped include--

--the qualified mentally retarded, who can perform well some of the simpler tasks that must be done in any large organization;

--the mentally restored, whose only handicap is that they once were ill;

--the physically impaired, who are not thereby occupationally disabled.

We intend to do this without creating extra jobs especially for the handicapped; without scuttling the merit system; without compromising the quality or efficiency of our work force or your ability to achieve your missions.

Your full cooperation is needed to make sure that all persons concerned with hiring, assignment, and use of employees in your organizations--

--constantly examine the work to be done and apply imagination and ingenuity to reengineering jobs; to retraining employees; to finding less demanding assignments for those who become ill or injured, when this is necessary to their continued employment; to dealing with the handicapped on the basis of ability and fair play.

Review periodically both your accomplishments and the manner in which you are carrying out this policy. The Civil Service Commission, as coordinator of the Federal employment effort, will report to me the results.

Let us open the door of employment opportunity to handicapped but occupationally qualified persons. Let us begin now.

LYNDON B. JOHNSON