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Accessibility

2022-03-01T12:56:20-05:00

Section 508 Accommodations

The ODNI is committed to providing accessible Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to individuals with disabilities, including members of the public and federal employees, by meeting or exceeding the requirements in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 794d).

On January 18, 2017, the U.S. Access Board published a final rule updating accessibility requirements for information and communication technology (ICT) covered by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and Section 255 of the Communications Act.

Section 508 requires agencies, during the procurement, development, maintenance, or use of ICT, to ensure that individuals with disabilities have access to and use of ICT information and data comparable to the access and use afforded to individuals without disabilities (i.e., ICT accessibility), unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency. The Section 508 standards are the technical requirements and criteria that are used to measure conformance with the law and incorporate the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0.

More information on Section 508 and the technical standards can be found on www.Section508.gov.

If you have feedback, questions, or concerns relating to the accessibility of any content that interferes with your ability to access the information on ODNI’s website, please contact Reasonable Accommodations help desk at 703-275-3900 or DNI_DRA@dni.gov for assistance.

If you believe that the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) used by the ODNI does not comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, please send an email to 508-compliance@dni.gov and we will begin the necessary research to ensure that the issue is resolved meeting the spirit and intent of the Act as best we are able. To enable us to respond in a timely manner most helpful to you, please indicate the nature of your accessibility problem, the preferred format in which to receive the material, the web address (URL) of the material with which you are having difficulty, and your contact information.

A Section 508 concern from an ODNI employee or applicant for employment may also constitute a concern under Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act for disability-based discrimination, such as a failure to provide a reasonable accommodation. For the purposes of this procedure, contact with the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, must be made within 45 days of the alleged discriminatory event. You may reach the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity at 301-243-0704.

Reasonable Accommodations

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) is an equal opportunity employer and abides by applicable employment laws and regulations. The ODNI is committed to being a model employer of Persons with Disabilities in the federal workplace. The ODNI Reasonable Accommodations Office is devoted to enable applicants and/or employees with known and substantiated disabilities and take necessary steps to ensure equal access and participation in all aspects of employment. Individuals may engage the RA process verbally or in writing, through the Interactive Process. Individuals requesting the accommodation along with the decision makers involved will collaborate, communicate, exchange information, search for solutions and consult resources to provide an accommodation that does not place an undue hardship on the ODNI. If an ODNI applicant and/or ODNI employee requires a reasonable accommodation, they may notify the Reasonable Accommodation Office Representative by unclassified email at DNI_DRA@dni.gov, by telephone at 703-275-3900 or by FAX at 703-275-1217.

Architectural Barriers Act of 1968

The ODNI is committed to providing accessible facilities to individuals with disabilities, by meeting or exceeding the requirements in the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4151-57). The Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) requires access to facilities that are designed, built, altered or leased with Federal funds. The Access Board is the federal agency responsible for enforcing the ABA. The Access Board’s accessibility standards are available on their website at www.access-board.gov/aba. If you believe ODNI facilities do not comply with ABA, please send an email to DNI_COO_FACILITIES@dni.gov and we will begin the necessary research to ensure that the issue is resolved meeting the spirit and intent of the Act as best we are able.

FOIA - Intelligence Community FOIA Sites

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	T he goal of the ODNI Freedom of Information Act / Privacy Act office is to keep the public better informed about the agency’s efforts and to ensure U.S. security through the release of as much information as possible, consistent with the need to protect classified or sensitive information under the exemption provisions of these laws.



Intelligence Community FOIA websites Air Force Army Central Intelligence Agency United States Coast Guard Defense Intelligence Agency Department of Energy Department of Homeland Security Department of State Department of the Treasury Drug Enforcement Administration Federal Bureau of Investigation Marine Corps National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency National Reconnaissance Office National Security Agency Navy


FOIA RESOURCES:

ODNI Electronic Reading Room ODNI Open Government Plan ODNI FOIA Handbook	FOIA Regulations ODNI FOIA Reading Room Certification	Other IC FOIA Websites DNI FCGR Memo

Antidiscrimination Laws

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A Federal agency cannot discriminate against an employee or applicant with respect to the terms, conditions or privileges of employment on the basis of race, sex (including pregnancy or gender identity), color, religion, national origin, age (over 40), mental or physical disability, genetic information, parental status, or sexual orientation. Discrimination on these bases is prohibited by various federal statutes or Executive Orders. (5 USC - 2302(b)(1), 29 USC - 206(d), 29 USC - 631, 29 USC - 633a, 29 USC - 791, and 42 USC - 2000e-16.)

If you believe that you have been the victim of unlawful discrimination, you must contact an Equal Employment Opportunity counselor within 45 days of the alleged discriminatory action, or, in the case of a personnel action, within 45 calendar days of the effective date of the action, before you can file a formal complaint of discrimination. See, e.g., 29 CFR Part 1614, the ODNI Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity internal agency website, and the EEOD public website.

If you believe that you have been the victim of unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, you must contact an EEO counselor as noted above, or you may give notice of intent to sue to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission within 180 calendar days of the alleged discriminatory action.

A Federal agency cannot retaliate against an employee or applicant because that individual exercises his or her rights under any of the Federal antidiscrimination laws noted above or whistleblower protection laws listed below. If you believe that you are the victim of retaliation for engaging in protected activity, you must follow, as appropriate, the procedures described in the Antidiscrimination Laws or the Whistleblower Protection Laws sections or, if applicable, the administrative or negotiated grievance procedures in order to pursue any legal remedy.

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunities

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Whistleblower Protection Laws

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It is the policy of the federal government to enable employees to disclose evidence of fraud, abuse, mismanagement, or illegal activities without fear of reprisal. The Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended by the Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act of 1998 provides employees and contractors of intelligence agencies with a mechanism for reporting alleged wrongdoing in IC agencies and associated programs to Congress. Under the ICWPA, IC employees have the right to engage in whistleblowing activity relating to intelligence matters of "urgent concern" and to be free from retaliatory actions for such reporting. "Urgent concerns," as defined by the ICWPA, include matters an IC employee reasonably believes to evidence violations of law, rule or regulation; gross mismanagement; gross waste of funds; an abuse of authority; or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety. In some circumstances, ODNI personnel (including employees, assignees, detailees, and contractors) may feel it necessary to report such matters to Congress when, in the view of the ODNI personnel, those matters are not being adequately addressed by the ODNI or another government agency. If ODNI personnel wish to report waste, fraud, abuse, violation of law, or gross mismanagement by IC employees to Congress, the matter should first be raised to the IC Office of Inspector General. The IC IG will advise the employee regarding the procedures for making an IC whistleblower complaint. Additionally, ODNI and IC personnel may report misconduct to the IC IG at any time. For additional information on whistleblower obligations, policies and procedures, to make a whistleblower disclosure, and/or if you believe that you have been a victim of whistleblower retaliation, ODNI and IC personnel should contact the Office of the IC IG at 703-482-1300.

Retaliation for Engaging in Protected Activity

A Federal agency cannot retaliate against an employee or applicant because that individual exercises his or her rights under any of the Federal antidiscrimination or whistleblower protection laws listed above. If you believe that you are the victim of retaliation for engaging in protected activity, you must follow, as appropriate, the procedures described in the Antidiscrimination Laws and Whistleblower Protection Laws sections or, if applicable, the administrative or negotiated grievance procedures in order to pursue any legal remedy.

Disciplinary Actions

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Under the existing laws, each agency retains the right, where appropriate, to discipline a Federal employee for conduct that is inconsistent with Federal Antidiscrimination and Whistleblower Protection Laws up to and including removal. According to the statute, if OSC has initiated an investigation under 5 USC 1214, however, according to 5 USC 1214(f), agencies must seek approval from the Special Counsel to discipline employees for, among other activities, engaging in prohibited retaliation. Nothing in the No FEAR Act alters existing laws or permits an agency to take unfounded disciplinary action against a Federal employee or to violate the procedural rights of a Federal employee who has been accused of discrimination.

For further information regarding the No FEAR Act regulations, refer to 5 USC Part 724, as well as the appropriate offices within your agency (e.g., EEO/civil rights office, human resources office or legal office). Additional information regarding Federal antidiscrimination and whistleblower protection and retaliation laws can be found at the EEOC website and the OSC website.

Summary of Procedures for Reporting Urgent Concerns Pursuant to the ICWPA

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Summary of Procedures for Reporting Urgent Concerns Pursuant to the ICWPA

A.   An IC employee, assignee, detailee, or contractor, who intends to report to Congress a complaint or information with respect to an urgent
     concern, may report such complaint or information to the Intelligence Community Inspector General by calling 1-855-731-3260.

B.   Not later than the end of the 14-calendar day period beginning on the date of receipt from an employee of a complaint or information under
       subparagraph (A), the IC IG shall determine whether the complaint or information appears credible. If the IC IG determines that the complaint or
       information appears credible, then the IC IG shall, before the end of such period, transmit the complaint or information to the Director of
       National Intelligence. The IC IG may also forward comments on the complaint or information to the DNI.

C. Upon receipt of a transmittal from the IC IG under subparagraph (B), the DNI shall, within 7 calendar days of such receipt, forward such
transmittal to the congressional intelligence committees, together with any comments the DNI considers appropriate.

i. If the IC IG does not transmit, or does not transmit in accurate form, the complaint or information described in subparagraph (B), the
employee may submit, in accordance with subparagraph (ii), the complaint or information to Congress by contacting either or both of the
congressional intelligence committees directly.

ii. The employee may contact the congressional intelligence committees directly as described in clause (i) only if the employee –

a. before making such a contact, furnishes to the DNI, through the IC IG, a statement of the employee's complaint or information and
notice of the employee's intent to contact the congressional intelligence committees directly; and

b. obtains and follows from the DNI, through the IC IG, direction on how to contact the congressional intelligence committees in
accordance with necessary and appropriate security procedures.

iii. The ICWPA provides that a member or employee of one of the congressional intelligence committees who receives a complaint or
information under clause (i) does so in that member's or employee's official capacity as a member or employee of that committee.

D.   The IC IG shall notify an employee who reports a complaint or information to the IC IG under these procedures of each action taken under
       these procedures with respect to the complaint or information. Such notice shall be provided not later than 3 days after any such action is
       taken.

E. An action taken by the DNI or the IC IG under this paragraph shall not be subject to judicial review.

F. In this summary:

i. The term "urgent concern" means any of the following:

a. A serious or flagrant problem, abuse, violation of law or Executive Order, or deficiency relating to the funding, administration, or
operations of an intelligence activity involving classified information, but does not include differences of opinions concerning public
policy matters.

b. A false statement to Congress, or a willful withholding from Congress, on an issue of material fact relating to the funding,
administration, or operation of an intelligence activity.

c. An action, including a personnel action described in section 2302(a)(2)(A) of title 5, United States Code, constituting reprisal or threat
of reprisal prohibited under subsection (e)(3)(B) in response to an employee's reporting an urgent concern in accordance with this
paragraph.

ii. The term 'congressional intelligence committees' means the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the United States House of
Representatives and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the United States Senate.

Additional Information

Making Lawful Disclosures

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Retaliation for Engaging in Protected Activity

Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protections

General Protections

The Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 amends the National Security Act of 1947 to provide statutory protections for Intelligence Community employees who make lawful disclosures of fraud, waste, or abuse in IC programs and activities. These statutory provisions prohibit an employee from taking a personnel action in reprisal or making security clearance access determinations in reprisal against an employee who made a lawful disclosure. Further, these provision require an inspector general to conduct fact-finding in reviewing allegations of security clearance reprisal.

Presidential Policy Directive – 19 (PPD-19), Protecting Whistleblowers with Access to Classified Information, also provides protections for IC employees against personnel actions taken in reprisal for lawfully participating in the whistleblowing process. In addition, employees and contractors are protected from reprisals in the security clearance adjudication process. PPD-19 requires that the agency inspector general review whistleblower reprisal allegations in violation of PPD-19. Further, PPD-19 allows employees and contractors to seek an external review from the ICIG of their reprisal allegations once they have exhausted their own agency’s review process.

Protections for Reporting to the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community

The ICIG statutory authorities also provide whistleblower protections for IC employees and contractors who report fraud, waste, or abuse to the ICIG. The ICIG may receive and investigate whistleblower reprisal complaints from any IC employee or contractor.

Protections for Reporting to Congress

The Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act provides IC employees the means to report to Congress complaints or information pertaining to "urgent concerns" (see below) without suffering reprisal.

In general, the ICWPA defines an "urgent concern" as:

A serious or flagrant problem, abuse, violation of law or Executive Order, or deficiency relating to the funding, administration, or operation of an intelligence activity involving classified information, but does not include differences of opinion concerning public policy matters.
A false statement to Congress, or a willful withholding from Congress, on an issue of material fact relating to the funding, administration, or operation of an intelligence activity.
An action constituting reprisal or threat of reprisal in response to an employee reporting an urgent concern.

As outlined in the link below, the ICIG must adhere to strict statutory timeframes in order to process whistleblower complaints of “urgent concern.”

Summary of Procedures for Reporting Urgent Concerns

About This Site

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About this site

Home

Accessibility

Section 508 Accommodations

Reasonable Accommodations

Architectural Barriers Act of 1968

FOIA - Intelligence Community FOIA Sites

Intelligence Community FOIA websites

Antidiscrimination Laws

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunities

Whistleblower Protection Laws

Retaliation for Engaging in Protected Activity

Disciplinary Actions

Summary of Procedures for Reporting Urgent Concerns Pursuant to the ICWPA

Summary of Procedures for Reporting Urgent Concerns Pursuant to the ICWPA

Additional Information

Making Lawful Disclosures

Retaliation for Engaging in Protected Activity

Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protections

About This Site