Outstanding Handicapped Federal Employee of the Year

A white woman seated in a wheelchair, with an eyepatch, glasses, wearing a corsage; her legs are both prosthetics; she is holding a plaque; kneeling next to her is another white woman, First Lady Pat Nixon, wearing a checked suit and smiling
Alice Chancellor and Pat Nixon, at the 1971 presentation of the Outstanding Handicapped Federal Employee of the Year award

Outstanding Handicapped Federal Employee of the Year was an annual award given by the United States Civil Service Commission beginning in 1969, to recognize exceptional job performance "in spite of severely limiting physical factors."[1] For the first few years, ten finalists were selected by a committee, from among the nominations from federal agencies, and one winner was named. Beginning in 1973, the ten finalists were honored without a single winner chosen.[2]

Prominent finalists for this award included chemist Odette L. Shotwell, Army engineer Alice Chancellor, and John Fales, founder and president of the Blinded American Veterans Foundation.[3] A 1986 recipient, LeRoy MItchell, explained to a reporter that "If there's any benefit to these awards after all, besides an ego trip for me, it would be that potential employers would realize that most office-type work is the kind of vocation anyone can handle with severe handicaps."[4] Others expressed concern that "the use of an individual's physical condition as a basis for reward fosters separateness and inequality."[5]

  1. ^ "Handicapped Employee Example for Others". The Lompoc Record. 1979-03-09. p. 4. Retrieved 2021-10-07 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ The Outstanding Handicapped Federal Employees Award Program. U.S. Civil Service Commission. April 4, 1974.
  3. ^ Dalecki, Ken. "John Fales, 78, known as "Sgt. Shaft"". National Press Club. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
  4. ^ Adams, Elaine (1986-10-16). "Wheelchair No Handicap to Doing the Job". The Kansas City Star. p. 3. Retrieved 2021-10-07 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Barad, Cary B.; Gold, Irene (January 1978). "Honor or Stigma?". Civil Service Journal. 18: 30–31 – via Internet Archive.