Rehabilitation Act
The Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of
disability in programs conducted by federal agencies, in programs
receiving federal financial assistance, in federal employment, and
in the employment practices of federal contractors. The standards
for determining employment discrimination under the Rehabilitation
Act are the same as those used in Title I of ADA.
Section 501
Section 501 requires affirmative action and nondiscrimination in
employment by federal agencies of the executive branch. To obtain
more information or to file a complaint, employees should contact
their agency's Equal Employment Opportunity Office.
Section 503
Section 503 requires affirmative action and prohibits employment
discrimination by federal government contractors and subcontractors
with contracts of more than $10,000. For more information on Section
503, contact:
Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20210
(202) 693-0106 (voice/relay)
www.dol.gov/dol/esa/public/ofcp_org.htm
Section 504
Section 504 states that "no qualified individual with a disability
in the United States shall be excluded from, denied the benefits
of, or be subjected to discrimination under" any program or
activity that either receives federal financial assistance or is
conducted by any agency of the executive branch or the U.S. Postal
Service.
Each federal agency has its own set of Section 504 regulations
that apply to its own programs. Agencies that provide federal financial
assistance also have Section 504 regulations covering entities that
receive federal aid. Requirements common to these regulations include
reasonable accommodation for employees with disabilities, program
accessibility, effective communication with people who have hearing
or vision disabilities, and accessible new construction and alterations.
Each agency is responsible for enforcing its own regulations. Section
504 may also be enforced through private lawsuits. It is not necessary
to file a complaint with a federal agency or to receive a right-to-sue
letter before going to court.
For information on how to file Section 504 complaints with the
appropriate agency, contact:
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Civil Rights Division
Disability Rights Section - NYAV
Washington, DC 20530
(800) 514-0301 (voice)
(800) 514-0383 (tty)
www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.html
Section 508
Section 508 establishes requirements for electronic and information
technology developed, maintained, procured, or used by the federal
government. Section 508 requires federal electronic and information
technology to be accessible to people with disabilities, including
employees and members of the public.
An accessible information technology system is one that can be operated
in a variety of ways and does not rely on a single sense or ability
of the user. For example, a system that provides output only in
visual format may not be accessible to people with visual impairments,
and a system that provides output only in audio format may not be
accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Some individuals
with disabilities may need accessibility-related software or peripheral
devices to use systems that comply with Section 508. For more information
on Section 508, contact:
GSA Office of Governmentwide Policy
Center for IT Accommodation (CITA)
1800 F Street, NW
Room 1234, MC:MKC
Washington, DC 20405-0001
(202) 501-4906 (voice)
(202) 501-2010 (tty)
www.itpolicy.gsa.gov/cita
U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board
1331 F Street, NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20004-1111
(800) 872-2253 (voice)
(800) 993-2822 (tty)
www.access-board.gov
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