NOAA CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICE
Disability Program
This program is the principal source of Departmental policy, guidance and training on disability issues; i.e., addressing legal and other requirements for reasonable accommodation, program and facility accessibility and matters of disability awareness and sensitivity.
Laws, Regulations and Policies
Laws
- Text of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Sections 501 and 505 (link to EEOC web site) - the text of Sections 501 and 505 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Pub. L. 93-112) (Rehab. Act), as amended, as these sections appear in volume 29 of the United States Code, beginning at section 791. Section 501 prohibits employment discrimination against individuals with disabilities in the federal sector. Section 505 contains provisions governing remedies and attorney's fees under Section 501. Relevant definitions that apply to sections 501 and 505 precede these sections.
- Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 508 - Section 508 requires that Federal agencies must ensure comparable accessibility to persons with disabilities whenever that agency uses electronic or information technology, unless such access would impose an undue burden. This web site contains the text of Section 508, as amended, as well as other materials.
Executive Orders
Executive orders are official documents, numbered consecutively, through which the President of the United States manages the operations of the federal government.
- Executive Order 13078
Increasing Employment of Adults with Disabilities, March 13, 1998. - Executive Order 13124
Amending the Civil Service Rules Relating To Federal Employees With Psychiatric Disabilities, June 4, 1999. - Executive Order 13164
Requiring Federal Agencies to Establish Procedures to Facilitate the Provision of Reasonable Accommodation, October 20, 2000
Resources
- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) website, administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, provides a wealth of information on numerous topics ranging from Acessible Design, Regulations and Policies to ADA Checklists and Federal Agencies with ADA responsibilities.
- The EEOC fact sheet, Work at Home/Telework as a Reasonable Accommodation is available on the EEOC website.
- Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) publishes a variety of fact sheets and other publications on disability issues on its website.