Breaking down travel barriers

Call to confirm the plane and hotel reservations. Arrange for someone to bring in the mail and feed the cats. Get to the !airport with time to spare. Pack tire patches and Allen wrench.

No, this isn't an auto mechanic's travelplanning list. It belongs to the Justice Department's Sally Conway

Luckily patching tires and fixing damaged brakes are not everyday occurrences. But federal travelers who have disabilities must make some plans and face some challenges others don't.

People with disabilities make up more than 7 percent of the federal workforce, according to the Office of Personnel Management. And as employment options for people with disabilities expand, medical technology advances and the baby boom ages, those numbers are likely to increase.

They're also growing because the government wants them to. Vice President Al Gore asked OPM to develop a plan to bring more people with disabilities into the federal workforce. The agency recently released two publications: a plan and a guide to employing people with disabilities in the federal government. "As an employer, we must make any and all reasonable adjustments or alterations that would enable a qualified person with a disability to apply for a job, perform their job responsibilities, or enjoy equal benefits and privileges of federal employment," said OPM Director Janice Lachance in a December speech.