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 the Americans with
Disabilities Act. 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 www.dol.gov/dol/esa/public/ofcp_org.htm (202) 693-0106 (voice/relay) Section 504 Section 504 states that "no qualified individual with a disability in
the United States shall by excluded from, denied the benefits of, or be subject
to discrimination under" any program ore activity that either receives
Federal financial assistance or is conducted by any Executive agency of the
United States 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 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 504 complaints with the appropriate agency,
contact: Disability Rights Section Civil Rights Division U.S. Department of Justice P.O. Box 66738 Washington, DC 20035-6738 www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.html (800) 514-0301 (voice) (800) 514-0383 (TTY) 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, system that provides output only in a 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 in order to use systems that comply with Section 508.
For more information on section 508, contact: GSA Office of Gevernmentwide Policy Center for IT Accommodation (CITA) 1800 F Street, N.W. Room 1234, MC:MKC Washington, DC 20405-0001 (202) 501-4906 (voice) (202) 501-2010 (TTY) U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board 1331 F Street, N.W. Suite 1000 Washington, DC 20004-1111 (800) 872-2253 (voice) (800) 993-2822 (TTY)