The Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice, reviews the Reagan administration's efforts on behalf of handicapped persons. The government's commitment to the principle of nondiscrimination is discussed along with such actions as designation of the "National Decade of Disabled Persons," the establishment of the National Council on the Handicapped and improved coordination with state and local authorities to enhance accessibility. Also discussed is the development of Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards, designed to be compatible with the 1980 American National Standards Institute provisions. Also noted is the progress with agencies promulgating their own regulations for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which protects against discrimination on account of handicap in federally assisted and federally conducted programs. (CL)