Earlier in the program, most placements were being made in Washington, D.C., with relatively few in the field. Today, 61 percent of placements are outside of Washington, demonstrating that the program has been gaining national momentum.

Highlights of reports from Civil Service regional offices, giving a national picture of Government activities in employment of the handicapped:

Atlanta. Seven conferences for coordinators have been held in recent months. More than 200 attended, representing 110 Federal installations. Two sets of 35millimeter slides on employment of the retarded have been shown to various Federal groups in the area.

Boston.-A number of New England States have held meetings for coordinators, stressing employment of the mentally retarded. The Federal Executive Board also urged greater employment opportunities for the retarded. Chicago. Two coordinator conferences were held during the year. More are scheduled in Federal population centers. These conferences feature tours of rehabilitation facilities for the handicapped, so that coordinators can see for themselves what is being done to prepare the handicapped for work. Dallas.-Coordinator meetings were held throughout the region. Attendance was good. Civil Service personnel also played active roles in the affairs of Governors' and mayors' committees on employment of the handicapped.

Denver. The Civil Service Commission in cooperation with the New Mexico Governor's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped issued a booklet, "Guide for Placement of the Handicapped in Federal Agencies.” Copies have been distributed nationally by the President's Committee. The Federal Executive Board in Denver launched a special award, known as the Walter E. Adler Award (in honor of the late director of the Denver regional office), going to the Federal employee who distinguished himself by his activities in placement of the handicapped.

New York. The Federal Personnel Association (New York and New Jersey) held a session on employment of the handicapped at its conference in Niagara Falls. The employment development officer conducted a 2-day program on "Emotional Problems in the Work Environment," covering employment of the mentally restored and mentally retarded.

Philadelphia.—Six area coordinator meetings have been scheduled for late 1965. Coordinators in all Federal installations in the area are expected to attend. Seattle. Successful coordinators' meetings were held in the area, highlighted by representatives of Federal agencies which have been hiring the mentally retarded. They presented a forceful firsthand view of the job strengths of the retarded.

San Francisco. The regional medical officer has been active in giving indoctrination talks on the handicapped to personnel of Federal installations in the area. Regional training conferences on employment of the retarded were held. They were well attended by personnel officers, coordinators and other Federal officials.

St. Louis.-"Retardate Placement Day" was held for Federal installation officials in the area. Profiles of retarded workers ready for employment were distributed, and arrangements were made for job interviews.

Mr. FOGARTY. Your only duty is promoting employment of the handicapped.

Mr. McCAHILL. Yes, sir. I wouldn't say it is our only duty. It is a very difficult responsibility and encompasses a great many things. Basically we are a promotional agency. We were not cut out for travel and printing because they are our life's blood. Basically we have no more money for programing and no more bodies and much more to do.

PROGRAM FOR RETARDED CHILDREN

Mr. FOGARTY. You say on page 22:

During the current year the committee has moved ahead on many new fronts and have cooperated with the National Association for Retarded Children in an intensive 3-year program to promote jobs for the retarded.

What success are you having in this program?

Mr. McCAHILL. I have with me Mr. Bernard Posner who is the Deputy Executive Secretary, sitting behind me. He is the behind-thescenes architect in the very substantial work in this area, both with regard to the mentally restored and the mentally retarded.

Mr. FOGARTY. Of course, they don't like to be classed together, you know.

Mr. McCAHILL. I know, but this is our responsibility, finding jobs for both groups. My point was, Mr. Posner has a responsibility for promoting jobs for both the mentally retarded and those who have been mentally ill.

Mr. FOGARTY. Do you want to say something, Mr. Posner?

Mr. POSNER. I think there is a growing ground swell of acceptance of the mentally retarded and I think a large part of it has been due to a cooperative venture between the President's Committee and organizations such as the National Association for Retarded Children. The NARC joined forces with us in establishing an "employer of the year" award, giving national recognition to recognizing the employer who has done the most throughout the United States in opening up new jobs for the retarded.

NARC, in cooperation with us, has worked with the Department of Labor to establish a brandnew type of training program, opening up a thousand new jobs in industrial laundries throughout the country for the mentally retarded. NARC, in cooperation with us, has produced a film and a training guide to go along with the film, to be used in approaching employer groups and convincing them of the abilities of retarded workers.

There have been at least a half dozen cooperative ventures between our two organizations and it has built up into a ground swell of acceptance.

Mr. FOGARTY. I am all for it, I think it is a wonderful thing. To promote jobs for retarded persons I imagine would be mainly in the educable retarded?

Mr. POSNER. We are talking about higher level retarded people and really, all we are selling employers is the fact that the laborer is able to work and earn a full day's pay. We are talking about higher level people, yes, sir.

Mr. FOGARTY. That is the easiest way to approach it.

Mr. McCAHILL. That is a first step, sir.

Mr. POSNER. It is almost like taking a cork out of a bottle.

Mr. FOGARTY. We are never satisfied with the progress in this field.

PROGRAM OF ASSOCIATION OF INDUSTRIAL LAUNDERERS

Mr. McCAHILL. I might say we are not either. In fact, Mr. Posner passed the line, so to speak, and went to work as a retarded person 2 weeks ago and the only person who knew he wasn't retarded was the employer. He had quite an experience during that week in working in this industrial laundry. This was in connection with the program which he spoke about. We are working on it with the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, NARCE, and other people. It is a $500 million business a year, and after a couple of weeks of discussion, the Association of Industrial Launderers went to work with us and the Bureau.

Another group also asked if they could work in this program and we are hoping these first two steps will involve a lot of industrial associations and organizations in this area, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. FOGARTY. The president of that association is going to be in town next week and I expect to see him.

Does he think you are doing a pretty good job so far?

Mr. McCAHILL. Does the president of the Institute of Industrial Launderers, sir? Well, I would guess so. Mr. Posner and Mr. Russell were down in Miami Beach for this annual convention and both of them said it was like a revival meeting. People were popping up all over the large auditorium offering to place people in their plants all over the country. We are hoping this will be the first of a number of opportunities of that nature.

Mr. FOGARTY. I was referring to the president of the N.A.R.C
I think it is a very good program.

Mr. McCAHILL. Of course, this isn't the only thing we are working on, as you know.

Mr. FOGARTY. I know of many of the other programs but I have a real interest in retarded children, too, and that is why I brought it

out.

Mr. McCAHILL. I might suggest that Mr. Russell's letter to you, sir, could be placed in the record.

Mr. FOGARTY. We will put it in the record.

(The letter referred to follows:)

THE PRESIDENT'S COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT OF THE HANDICAPPED,

Hon. JOHN E. FOGARTY,

Chairman, Subcommittee on Labor-HEW,

Committee on Appropriations,

U.S. House of Representatives,

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., February 3, 1966.

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: I regret that circumstances beyond my control forced me to miss the hearing today after coming down from Boston this morning. The Massachusetts Industrial Accident and Rehabilitation Commission of which I am a member is meeting at 6 p.m. today in Boston.

My statement as volunteer Chairman, I believe, speaks for itself. I met with our ad hoc group on a National Conference on Rehabilitation and we agreed on the necessity of such a project as mentioned on page 5 of my testimony. We agreed to defer additional commissions, panels, etc., until after a national conference. In the interim, I will invite the volunteer and staff heads of the major disability groups to meet with us this year and tell us the problems their clients are having in obtaining jobs or training for jobs.

In view of my inability to respond to questions from you and the other members. I shall be happy to supply you with written comments to any questions immediately after the hearing. Also, I would appreciate having pages 56-58 of the poverty report of the task force on economic growth and opportunity of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States inserted with my remarks as they point up the increasing reliance of outside groups upon our promotional efforts.

Very sincerely,

HAROLD RUSSELL, Chairman.

P.S.-The next time I am in town. I shall call your office and Mel Laird's and make myself available to both of you.

RECOMMENDATION

When people with remediable disabilities first come to the attention of physicians, of members of welfare agencies and others interested in the welfare and health of people, no time ought to be wasted to bring to bear all the necessary social, economic, and medical means for the earliest return to self-sufficiency.

There is need for closer liaison between welfare workers and rehabilitation agencies.

Doctors, hospitals, and health agencies thoroughly familiar with local rehabilitation programs can refer people to maximum help. Communities fully informed of the value of rehabilitation can increase the success of rehabilitation programs. In turn, strong State rehabilitation programs can help encourage public understanding and support. Rehabilitation is a job for community leadership, public and private.

Businessmen can make or break rehabilitation efforts by their policies in hiring the handicapped. And businessmen to an increasing extent have come to appreciate the excellent job performance of handicapped workers. Studies have documented that handicapped employees experience less absenteeism, better safety records, often no greater workmen's compensation costs, lower accident rates, and stronger motivation to succeed than able-bodied workers. All this is leading more employers to hire the handicapped not out of charity, which can be futile or harmful, but because it is good business.

There are, of course, some problems connected with hiring the handicapped. Misconceptions and rumors still surround the subject. Some employers have had bad experiences. Other employers, having accepted the idea of hiring the handicapped, may face labor union restrictions, including rigid seniority schedules, as well as the opposition of their other employees. Employers must often invest capital in architectural and other changes to help the handicapped perform and get around, and must also deal with inflexible workmen's compensation and minimum wage laws. Yet, these are problems which have been and can be resolved.

The excellent work records of the bandicapped should be made better known. Special efforts should be made by employers to study industries that successfully hire the handicapped. The use of press, radio, and television to approach the public at large should be boosted. The talents and resources of disabled people who have overcome their handicaps should be employed to help design and carry out informational and educational programs aimed at the general public, employers, and employees. Much of this work could be coordinated and planned by the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped, and this Committee should have sufficient staff and funds to do the job.

More can also be done by the States to improve their employ-the-handicapped programs. Each State has a Governor's committee on employment of the handicapped or some equivalent. But in only 11 States do these committees have a legal basis for existence and in 26 States these committees have no established source of financing. Further, every effort should be made by States to match fully the Federal funds available for rehabilitation programs. In 1963 only 9 States put up enough funds to receive full Federal allotments. By "handicapped" the task force means the mentally retarded as well as the physically disabled. There is growing evidence that many mentally retarded people can be trained or rehabilitated to take their place among other productive workers. Recent hiring of mentally retarded persons by the Federal Government shows that such persons are better suited for certain jobs than persons of normal intelligence. Retarded persons are seldom bored and dissatisfied in routine jobs. They produce well and have a lower turnover than nonhandicapped persons in the same work.

Some outstanding work in rehabilitation and employment of the handicapped is being done by private groups and individuals. Organizations, such as Goodwill Industries and Abilities, Inc., are excellent examples, though there are others. 75 Businessmen can help by supporting these organizations with funds and advice. Labor unions can help by approaching them with enlightened labor policies that recognize the special nature of the employees these organizations hire. In this connection, the task force has learned that at least in one city labor

unions are exerting pressures to bring Goodwill Industries under the minimum wage scale. Goodwill Industries officials believe this would seriously hurt if not destroy the organization, simply because many people who are receiving rehabilitation in Goodwill Industries are insufficiently productive for such wages.

PRINTING AND REPRODUCTION

Mr. SHRIVER. I have no questions except to follow up one of Mr. Fogarty's questions relating to printing and reproduction. Is this a part of the handicapped program?

Mr. McCAHILL. We didn't take the 10 percent cut. We are not part of the Labor Department. We're there as a matter of convenience for happy housekeeping.

Mr. SHRIVER. I was interested in this printing and reproduction. I felt it should be much greater in connection with what you are doing.

Mr. McCAHILL. Well, sir, as Chairman Russell indicated in his prepared statement, this budget was prepared at a time when our ceiling$400,000—was right above us and we couldn't go any further. Subsequently the Congress, thanks to Mr. Fogarty and the other committee, did get us a new ceiling-$500,000-but at the time we prepared this budget, we were not in a position to ask for any more than we did.

Mr. SHRIVER. That is the only thing I wanted to comment on.
Mr. FOGARTY. Mr. Flood.

Mr. FLOOD. That young man back there in left field with the glasses.
Mr. FOGARTY. Mr. Posner.

Mr. FLOOD. I, for many years, have been interested in the matter of the mentally retarded and the physically handicapped in my own district. We are very fortunate in my area in having an extremely active local committee, affiliated with the State and National organizations, of male and female civic leaders and volunteers, which I am sure is far, far above average-although I know now there is a great deal of this work going on.

PRESIDENT KENNEDY'S CONTRIBUTION TO INTEREST IN THE MENTALLY

HANDICAPPED

It is my impression that you left out one very significant point in your answer to Mr. Forgarty. There is no doubt there has been a rash of nationwide interest in this, thank goodness, in big and small communities. A rash of it; an epidemic. I would never have believed it 15 years ago. I would never have believed it. But you must give great credit for this overnight interest to the late President Kennedy, because of the family problem, and the publicity given to that. The interest shown by him and his family, immediately upon assuming office, sparked an interest which I think more than any one single thing went out to the grassroots. It was very, very important. I have heard it mentioned time and time and time and time again.

Mr. POSNER. I Concur thoroughly, and we must not overlook the rest of the family which has maintained the push.

Mr. FLOOD. The maintenance by the family was good, but the spark was when the late President himself went right to bat on the thing. Just the time he was at the height of his popularity, the revelation of