Utilization of physically handicapped officers in navy billets

Abstract

the need for retaining and using in the Navy, officers who have become physically handicapped is apparent from: 1) the mounting pension costs due to a contrary policy, 2) the waste of experienced and trained though partially disabled officer personnel, and 3) the decline in morale among nonhandicapped officers working under a policy under which their careers may end abruptly and their compensation may be halved if they become physically impaired. This thesis suggests 1) that the physical requirements of billets, and the physical capacities of disabled officers be determined, evaluated and profile, and 2) that the abilities of impaired officers be matched to the physical demands of suitable billets. The underlying hypotheses are that few jobs demand all the physical capacities of naval officers and that even disabled officers often have more ability than disability. The employment of physically handicapped persons in industry indicates no significant difference from the standpoint of efficiency on the job, absenteeism, and injury frequency. The success with which the Canadian, British, and U.S. Army physical classification and profiling systems match disabled personnel to suitable duties augurs well for the probable success of a comparable system in the Navy. Selective placement, through physical classification of officers who have become disabled in the service, is particularly easy, since their previous aptitude, training, skill and interests are already known. The techniques of matching disabled officers to Navy jobs where their disabilities are inconsequential is proposed in this thesis. Inasmuch as the Navy is nearing the completion of analyzing, appraising, and classifying officer billets, such a technique can be employed in the near future...