GSA 508 Complaint Procedure
The GSA Office of Civil Rights investigates and processes program complaints concerning Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Section 508). Individuals with disabilities may file an administrative complaint with the GSA Office of Civil Rights requesting that existing electronic and information technology (E&IT), such as a GSA branded website or non-accessible document that does not conform to the Section 508 standards, be reviewed and brought into compliance with the provisions of Section 508.
Amendments
The amendments, 29 U.S.C. 794d, to Section 508 which took effect in 2001, provide that each Federal agency must ensure that the E&IT it develops, procures, maintains, or uses is accessible to individuals with disabilities who are Federal employees or applicants, or members of the public seeking information or services from the agency. Section 508 requires Federal agencies to process Section 508 complaints according to the same complaint procedures used to process Section 504 program complaints. See 29 U.S.C. 794d(f)(2).
Timeframe
Upon filing a complaint, GSA will determine a timeframe in which the E&IT may be brought into compliance or provide an equivalent accessible alternative. When the E&IT is not brought into compliance within a specified timeframe, an individual may consider filing a non-monetary civil action in Federal Court for non-compliance.
The following statement summarizes GSA policy and the basic procedure for filing an administrative complaint with the GSA Office of Civil Rights:
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The GSA Office of Civil Rights ensures that Federal programs comply with accessibility legislation and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. This office investigates employee and public complaints to determine compliance or noncompliance with Federal law. For more information and assistance, employees and the public may refer to the Office of Civil Rights. If you have a complaint or believe that you have been discriminated against based on a disability, you may contact GSA's Office of Civil Rights at (202) 501-0767, 1-800-267-7660 (TDD) or FedRelay 1-800-811-8339. You may also write to the U.S. General Services Administration, Office of Civil Rights, 1275 First Street, NE, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20002. |
Accessibility
Persons with disabilities, who need alternate formats of program information for purposes of accessibility access, should first contact the GSA source as identified via the website “contact us” link for resolution. If no source or solution is available, please contact the GSA CIO Section 508 Coordinators for assistance, at:
CIO508Help@gsa.gov or 202-208-0799.
