News and Updates – FAA Provides Aviation Careers to People with Disabilities

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced a pilot program to help prepare people with disabilities for careers in air traffic operations.

A key focus for the FAAs Office of Civil Rights is to identify specific opportunities for people with targeted disabilities, empower them and facilitate their entry into a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

The FAA will enroll up to 20 people in the Aviation Development Program. They will train for up to one year at 10 Air Route Traffic Control Centers throughout the U.S. The following facilities will participate in the pilot: Minneapolis, Minn., Cleveland, Ohio, Boston, Mass., Denver, Colo., Fort Worth, Texas, Jacksonville, Fla., Seattle, Wash., Memphis, Tenn., Kansas City, Kan., and Salt Lake City, Utah.

The candidates in this program will receive the same rigorous consideration in terms of aptitude, medical and security qualifications as those individuals considered for a standard public opening for air traffic controller jobs. The training will prepare them for an opportunity to be appointed to a temporary air traffic control specialist position at the FAA Academy.

Candidates for the Aviation Development Program must meet the following criteria:

• United States citizenship
• The qualification for Schedule A Direct Hiring Authority
• Meet Office of Personnel Management ATC qualification standards
• Pass Air Traffic Skills Assessment (AT-SA) Aptitude test
• No more than 30 years of age
• Pass a medical/security review
• Be proficient in English
• Education and/or work experience:
  – three years of progressively responsible work experience or,
  – a bachelor’s degree or
  – a combination of post-secondary education and work experience that totals three years.

People who are interested in applying for the pilot program should follow the instructions on the Aviation Development Program website. The website also has a schedule for in-person information sessions.