What you Need To Know
The Department's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) enforces Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, which requires federal contractors and subcontractors with government contracts in excess of $10,000, to take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities. Additionally, OFCCP has coordinating authority under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits job discrimination by employers with 15 or more employees against qualified individuals with disabilities. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has primary authority for enforcing the employment provisions of ADA. Most government contractors are covered by both Section 503 and the ADA.
The Department's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) provides grant programs and other services to enhance the employment opportunities of people with disabilities.
The Department's Civil Rights Center (CRC), a part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management (OASAM), enforces several federal disability nondiscrimination laws, including Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 504 prohibits disability-based discrimination by, and imposes affirmative disability-related responsibilities on, recipients of federal financial assistance, as well as federal programs and activities; the CRC enforces the law as it relates to recipients of financial assistance from DOL.
A Guide to Disability Rights Laws
(Americans with Disabilities Act)
The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, State and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications. It also applies to the United States Congress.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (formerly called P.L. 94-142 or the Education for all Handicapped Children Act of 1975) requires public schools to make available to all eligible children with disabilities a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment appropriate to their individual needs.
Voting Accessibility for Elderly & Handicapped Act
The Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984 generally requires polling places across the United States to be physically accessible to people with disabilities for federal elections.
The Fair Housing Act, as amended in 1988, prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, and national origin. Its coverage includes private housing, housing that receives Federal financial assistance, and State and local government housing.
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.