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 takes steps to ensure that a broad range of individuals with disabilities, including individuals with targeted disabilities, will be aware of and be encouraged to apply for job vacancies when eligible. Applicants from the Office of Personnel Management’s Chief Human Capital Officers' Shared List of People with Disabilities are sought for selected vacancy announcements. Likewise, applicants from the Department of Labor’s Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities for selected entry level and other lower graded position announcements. Schedule A hiring authority is used when appropriate.

The FRA also will maintain contacts with organizations that specialize in providing assistance to individuals with disabilities, including individuals 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 arise during the application and selection processes, and provides staff with sufficient training, support, and other resources to carry out their responsibilities under this section.

Disability-related questions regarding the application and selection processes will be answered promptly and correctly, including questions about reasonable accommodations needed by job applicants during the application and selection processes and questions about how individuals may apply for appointment under hiring authorities that take disability into account. Any member of the Recruitment and 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 member of the Recruitment and Operations Staff member responsible for the vacancy announcement.

The FRA solicits and accepts applications for appointment under hiring authorities that take disability into account, consistent with applicable OPM regulations, such as Schedule A.

If an individual applies for appointment to a position under a hiring authority that takes disability into account, such as Schedule A, a determination of eligibility for appointment under the authority will be made according to regulation. If an individual is found eligible, the application will be forwarded to the relevant hiring official with an explanation of how and when the individual may be appointed, consistent with all applicable laws.

Advancement Program

The FRA will take steps to ensure that current employees with disabilities have sufficient opportunities for advancement. Such steps may include efforts to ensure that employees with disabilities are informed of and have opportunities to enroll in relevant training, including management training when eligible; and, administration of exit interviews that include questions on how the agency could improve the recruitment, hiring, inclusion, and advancement of individuals with disabilities.

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 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 Civil Rights at (202) 493-0669.

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.