It is the policy of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to provide equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities who are Federal employees or applicants for Federal employment. The FRA will ensure that qualified persons with disabilities, including Federal employees who become disabled after appointment, have equitable opportunities to be hired, placed, and advanced in FRA jobs to the fullest extent possible.

Disability Hiring and Advancement Program - Recruitment

The FRA has taken steps to ensure that a vast range of individuals with disabilities, including individuals with targeted disabilities, will be aware of and encouraged to apply for job opportunity announcements (JOA) when eligible. Applicants from the Office of Personnel Management’s Chief Human Capital Officer’s' Shared List of People with Disabilities are sought for selected job vacancy announcements that will help with filling positions. Likewise, applicants from the Department of Labor’s Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) for College Students with Disabilities for selected entry level and other lower graded position announcements are also encouraged to apply for those JOAs. The Schedule A hiring authority is used when appropriate to hire individuals with disabilities under the excepted service. 
 
The FRA will also maintain contact with organizations that specialize in helping individuals with disabilities and with targeted disabilities, in securing and maintaining employment, such as American Job Centers, State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies, the Veterans' Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program, Centers for Independent Living, and Employment Network service providers.

Application Process

 The FRA has sufficient staff to handle any disability-related issues that may arise during the application and selection processes. The Program also provides staff with sufficient (needed) training, support, and other resources to carry out their responsibilities of their positions. Disability-related questions regarding the application and selection processes will be answered promptly and appropriately, including questions regarding reasonable accommodations needed by job applicants during the application and selection processes. and Also, questions on how individuals may apply for appointments under the Schedule A hiring authority will be answered. Any member of the Operations Staff can respond to questions. 
 
Requests for reasonable accommodations needed by job applicants during the application and placement processes, should be directed to the Operations Staff member responsible for the job opportunity announcement. 
 
The FRA solicits and accepts applications for appointments under hiring authorities that consider disabilities, consistent with applicable OPM guidance and regulations, such as the Schedule A hiring authority. 
 
If an individual applies to a position under a hiring authority, such as Schedule A, eligibility for appointment will be determined according to the OPM regulation. If an individual is found eligible and submits applicable documentation such as Schedule A letter from their physician or doctor, the application will be forwarded to the hiring official explaining how and when the individual may be appointed, consistent with OPM guidelines.

Advancement Program

 The FRA will ensure that current employees with disabilities have sufficient opportunities for advancement. Such steps may include efforts to ensure that an employee with a disability is informed any opportunities to enroll in relevant training, including management training (when eligible); and through their career with FRA and administration of exit interviews that include questions on how the agency could improve the recruitment, hiring, inclusion, and advancement of individuals with disabilities.  
 
Reasonable Accommodation 
The FRA complies with the Rehabilitation Act through DOT Order 1011.1A. The Order can be found at: https://www.transportation.gov/civil-rights/civil-rights-awareness-enforcement/procedures-processing-reasonable-accommodation. Questions may be directed to the Office of Human Resources at frareasonableaccommodation@dot.gov. 

Disability Anti-Harassment Policy

The Department of Transportation (DOT) and FRA’s anti-harassment policy prohibits harassment based on disability. Training is provided to the FRA workforce that includes this factor.

Reasonable Accommodation

The FRA complies with the Rehabilitation Act through DOT Order 1011.1A. The Order can be found at: https://www.transportation.gov/civil-rights/civil-rights-awareness-enforcement/procedures-processing-reasonable-accommodation. Questions may be directed to the Recruitment and Operations Staff or the Office of Human Resources at frareasonableaccommodation@dot.gov.

Utilization Analysis

The FRA performs a workforce analysis annually to determine the percentage of its employees at each grade and salary level who have disabilities, and the percentage of its employees at each grade and salary level who have targeted disabilities.

Goals

The FRA is committed to the goal of ensuring that -

• No less than 12% of employees at the GS-11 level and above, together with employees who are not paid under the General Schedule but who have salaries equal to or greater than employees at the GS-11, step 1 level in the Washington, DC locality, are individuals with disabilities;
   
• No less than 12% of employees at the GS-10 level and below, together with employees who are not paid under the General Schedule but who have salaries less than employees at the GS-11, step 1 level in the Washington, DC locality, are individuals with disabilities;
   
• No less than 2% of employees at the GS-11 level and above, together with employees who are not paid under the General Schedule but who have salaries equal to or greater than employees at the GS-11, step 1 level in the Washington, DC locality, are individuals with targeted disabilities; and
   
• No less than 2% of employees at the GS-10 level and below, together with employees who are not paid under the General Schedule but who have salaries less than employees at the GS-11, step 1 level in the Washington, DC locality, are individuals with targeted disabilities.

Progression Toward Goals.

The FRA will take reasonably steps to gradually increase the number of persons with disabilities or targeted disabilities employed at the agency until it meets the goals established in the regulations. The FRA may use one or more of these strategies to achieve its goals:

• Increased use of hiring authorities that take disability into account to hire or promote individuals with disabilities or targeted disabilities, as applicable.
   
• To the extent permitted by applicable laws, consideration of disability or targeted disability status as a positive factor in hiring, promotion, or assignment decisions.
   
• Disability-related training and education campaigns for all employees in the agency.
   
• Additional outreach or recruitment efforts.
   
• Increased efforts to hire and retain individuals who require supported employment because of a disability, who have retained the services of a job coach at their own expense or at the expense of a third party, and who may be given permission to use the job coach during work hours as a reasonable accommodation without imposing undue hardship on the agency.
   
• Adoption of training, mentoring, or internship programs for individuals with disabilities.

Recordkeeping

The FRA keeps records to determine whether it is complying with the nondiscrimination and affirmative action requirements imposed under Section 501, and to make such records available to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission upon the Commission's request, as required by the regulations.