Office of Civil Rights Overview
The Office of Civil Rights administers three different programs related to the application of various Federal Civil Rights laws and regulations.
Those programs include:
- The Equal Employment Opportunity program for GSA's employees and applicants for employment;
- The Nondiscrimination in Federally Conducted Programs and Activities program for federal tenants (and their employees) and members of the general public seeking access to programs and activities conducted by GSA; and
- The Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs and Activities program for persons eligible to participate in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance from GSA.
The Office of Civil Rights also administers the appeals process for administrative grievances filed by GSA employees.
The Office of Civil Rights has Federal Relay Service (FRS) capabilities that enable individuals with hearing impairments to communicate with us. FRS may be accessed at 1-800-877-8339.
RECENT UPDATES
The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) signed into law in May 2008, prohibits discrimination by health insurers and employers based on individuals' genetic information. Genetic information includes the results of genetic tests to determine whether someone is at increased risk of acquiring a condition (such as some forms of breast cancer) in the future, as well as an individual's family medical history. For more information, visit the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) website.
The Americans with Disabilities Amendment Act of 2008 (ADAAA) states that its purpose is to reinstate a broad scope of protection by expanding the definition of the term 'disability'. Congress found that persons with many types of impairments including epilepsy, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, intellectual disabilities (formerly called mental retardation), major depression, and bipolar disorder had been unable to bring ADA claims because they were found not to meet the ADA's definition of 'disability'. Yet, Congress thought that individuals with these and other impairments should be covered and revised the ADA accordingly. Congress explicitly rejected certain Supreme Court interpretations of the term 'disability' and a portion of the EEOC regulation that it found had inappropriately narrowed the definition of disability. As a result of the ADAAA, it will be much easier for individuals seeking the law's protection to demonstrate that they meet the definition of 'disability', and far more ADA cases will focus on whether discrimination actually occurred. For more information, visit the EEOC website.
GSA and Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice (EJ) is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
