Substitution of Term in a Definition; Addition and Adoption of the Use of Specific Interchangeable or Synonymous Terms

Résumé

The Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled (the Committee) administers the AbilityOne[supreg] Program pursuant to the authority of the Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) Act. The Committee is substituting the term "disabled" for "handicapped" in a term defined in its regulation. Additionally, the Committee has deliberated and unanimously voted to approve the use of "severely" disabled and "significantly" disabled as interchangeable or synonymous terms when referring to people who are severely disabled within the AbilityOne Program. The Committee's approval to use "severely" and significantly" as interchangeable or synonymous terms within the AbilityOne Program specifically does not make any change to the definition of "severely disabled individual" in the JWOD Act or expand the population of individuals served within the AbilityOne Program.