Complaint Resolution Center

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) prohibits discrimination in its employment practices on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age (40 and over), disability, sexual orientation, parental status, and genetic information. This is in accordance with:

Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, as amended, (Title VII), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Equal Pay Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; and Executive Orders 13087, 13152, and 13145, Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (effective November 21, 2009). The Department's Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy has included a prohibition against discrimination based on sexual orientation. However, complaints based on sexual orientation are not covered by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regulations that govern the processing of discrimination of Federal Sector discrimination complaints (Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 1614.) (Sexual orientation complaints filed against the Department are processed in accordance with the Secretary of Transportation's Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Statement and Executive Order 13087 issued May 28, 1998.)

DOT also works to ensure that its funding recipients do not discriminate against persons who use their services based on such factors as race, color, national origin, age, or disability. DOT recipients include state departments of transportation, state motor vehicle administrations, airport operators, metropolitan planning organizations, and regional, state, and local transit operators, among many others. Examples of nondiscrimination laws and executive orders enforced by DOT that cover members of the public include:

• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Section 504 the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Age Discrimination Act of 1975
• Executive Order 12898, Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations
• Executive Order 13166, Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency
   

Some laws apply specifically to DOT's own programs (and not its recipients) and cover both DOT employees and members of the public. For example, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, as amended, requires that Federal agencies' electronic and information technology is accessible to people with disabilities. Executive Order 13160 prohibits discrimination in federally conducted education and training programs. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and amendments prohibit discrimination against persons with disabilities by Federal agencies and their funding recipients in any program or activity.