What is Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act?
Sep 23, 2016 · What is Section 503? Federal contractors are businesses hired to provide goods or services to (or on behalf of) the federal government. Under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, businesses with 50 or more employees and $50,000 or more in federal contracts must take affirmative action to hire more people with disabilities. The rule encourages federal …
What is the new Ra Section 503 benchmark for Disability Employment?
Sep 24, 2013 · The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) published a final rule revising the regulations implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Section 503) at 41 CFR Part 60-741, on September 24, 2013. The updated regulations became effective on March 24, 2014.
Are You complying with Section 503 requirements to recruit and hire?
Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a law that prohibits federal contractors and subcontractors from discriminating in employment against individuals with disabilities and requires employers take affirmative action to recruit, hire, promote, and retain these individuals. Find out more information about Section 503 in the links below or visit a list of frequently …
What does Section 503 of the ADA mean for contractors?
seven percent of people with disabilities. Overview of Section 503 new rules The seven percent workforce goal Called a utilization or aspirational goal, this requirement is not a quota, but a way to ensure that federal contractors include disability in their strategies around recruitment and hiring. The seven percent goal will apply to each job
What is Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973?
Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a law that prohibits federal contractors and subcontractors from discriminating in employment against individuals with disabilities and requires employers take affirmative action to recruit, hire, promote, and retain these individuals.
Who does the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 apply to?
Employees with DisabilitiesApplicants or Employees with Disabilities in the Federal Government. If an employer is an executive branch of the federal government, an individual with a disability who is employed by or applies for employment with that employer is protected by Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
What is the utilization goal for individuals with disabilities?
What is a utilization goal? Yes, the regulations include an aspirational utilization goal of 7%. OFCCP created this goal to give contractors a yardstick against which they can measure the success of their efforts in outreach to and recruitment of individuals with disabilities.Feb 14, 2014
Who enforces the Rehabilitation Act?
As they apply to entities under the jurisdiction of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), OCR enforces: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, including programs and activities that are conducted by HHS or receiving Federal financial assistance from HHS.
What is the difference between the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act?
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 covers federal contractors and programs receiving federal funds. The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination in employment, public services, public accommodations and telecommunications.
What disabilities are covered under the Rehabilitation Act?
Some examples of impairments which may substantially limit major life activities, even with the help of medication or aids/devices, are: AIDS, alcoholism, blindness or visual impairment, cancer, deafness or hearing impairment, diabetes, drug addiction, heart disease, and mental illness.
What is Section 504 of the ADA?
Section 504 states that "no qualified individual with a disability in the United States shall be excluded from, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under" any program or activity that either receives Federal financial assistance or is conducted by any Executive agency or the United States Postal ...Feb 24, 2020
What is a utilization goal?
The purpose of the utilization goal is to establish a benchmark against which the contractor must measure the representation of individuals within each job group in its workforce, or within the contractor's entire workforce as provided in paragraph (d)(2)(i) of this section.
What is voluntary self identification of disability?
Identifying yourself as an individual with a disability is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer will be maintained confidentially and not be seen by selecting officials or anyone else involved in making personnel decisions.
What are examples of disability discrimination?
Verbal harassment such as teasing, jokes, or slurs based on your disability. Intrusive comments or questions about your disability at work. Singling you out for different treatment based on your disability. Refusing to offer reasonable accommodation for you to do your job.
Is the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 still in effect?
The Rehabilitation Act was subsequently amended in 1978, 1986, 1992, and 2015. Section 504 was modeled after Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.Sep 17, 2018
What aspects of life is not generally affected by a disability?
Family size is the aspect of life is not generally affected by a disability.
When was Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 amended?
Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) published a final rule revising the regulations implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Section 503) at 41 CFR Part 60-741, on September 24, 2013. The updated regulations became effective on March 24, 2014.
What is Section 503?
The Section 503 regulations permit contractors to invite applicants to self-identify as an individual with a disability at the same time that the contractor collects demographic data regarding race, gender, and ethnicity from applicants , as required by Executive Order 11246.
What is Section 503 Appendix B?
Section 503, Appendix B, Developing Reasonable Accommodation Procedures, provides examples of "best practices" for these procedures. During an OFCCP compliance evaluation, how many of these "best practices" will contractors be held accountable for adopting and implementing?
What is the exemption for sheltered workshops?
Many sheltered workshops are authorized to pay special minimum wages under an exemption in section 14 (c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), 29 U.S.C. 214 (c), after receiving a certificate from the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division. The certificate allows the payment of special minimum wages to certain workers ...
When did the 503 regulations become effective?
The updated regulations became effective on March 24, 2014. You can view the regulations on the OFCCP website at www.dol.gov/agencies/ofccp/section-503 as published in the the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Additional information about Section 503 regulations is provided in the frequently asked questions (FAQs) below.
Is there a provision to state that contractors are equal employment opportunity employers of individuals with disabilities?
Yes. A provision was added to be consistent with a comparable Executive Order 11246 requirement regarding race and sex. This provision requires contractors to state in solicitations and advertisements that they are equal employment opportunity employers of individuals with disabilities.
When did the ADAAA become effective?
The word "disability" and its component parts are made consistent with the definitions resulting from the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), which became effective on January 1, 2009, and which amended both the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 503; and.
What is the ADA 503?
The aim of the Section 503 new rules. Despite nearly 25 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), people with disabilities continue to face barriers to equal opportunity in employment. In 2012, the overall employment rate of adults with disabilities was 33.5%, as compared to 76.3% for others.
When did Section 503 start?
Though RA Section 503 has been in effect since 1973, there has not been a specific benchmark defining what the percent of individuals with disabilities are to be in the workforce of covered employers. Section 503 new rules now provide this benchmark. Called an aspirational goal, covered employers must now attain, or show progress toward attaining, ...
How often should you self-identify for a job?
Current employees should be invited to self-identify at least once every five years.
When did the 503 rule take effect?
Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act Rules. On March 24, 2014, rules for Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act (RA) took effect, covering employers who are federal contractors or subcontractors. These new rules strengthen the enforcement of the ADA and put into place new employer requirements around recruiting, ...
What are the new rules for RA 503?
Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). Employers with U.S. federal government contracts or subcontracts of $10,000 or more are covered by the new rules. Also, covered employers with at least 50 employees and a federal contract/subcontract of at least $50,000 must have in place an affirmative action program for hiring individuals with disabilities. However, federal contractors who already had a written affirmative action program in place on March 24, 2014 may have additional time to comply with this requirement.
What is Section 503?
Called an aspirational goal, covered employers must now attain, or show progress toward attaining, a workforce that consists of at least seven percent of people with disabilities.
When was the ADAAA passed?
Apply the American with Disabilities Amendments Act (ADAAA) Passed in 2008, the ADAAA has expanded the definition of disability, thereby including more individuals with disabilities under its protections against discrimination in the workplace and other settings.