The Defense Intelligence Agency’s success depends on the skills of its workforce and a shared commitment to executing the defense intelligence mission. The Agency believes that every member of the workforce must have an equal opportunity to excel in their career through improved training, mentoring, and access to challenging work opportunities. DIA recognizes the importance of providing a fair, modern, and secure work environment. Providing the optimal work environment is achieved through a culture that modernizes its facilities and infrastructure, and values constant awareness of security and CI threats.
A reasonable accommodation is a change or adjustment to a job, work environment, or in the way things are customarily done, that permits a qualified applicant or employee with a disability to participate in the job application process, perform essential functions of the job, and enjoy the full benefits and privileges of the workplace afforded to employees.
A reasonable accommodation may include:
- Making existing facilities accessible
- Job restructuring
- Part-time or modified work schedules
- Acquiring or modifying equipment
- Changing tests, training materials, or policies
- Providing qualified readers or interpreters
- Reassignment
Reasonable accommodation does not include:
- Eliminating an essential function of a position
- Placing an individual in a position they cannot perform
- Lowering the performance or production standards of a position
- Creating a new position
- Placing the individual in permanent light duty status
- Personal use items (e.g., wheelchair, eyeglasses, hearing aids)
Reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified individuals with disabilities unless to do so would cause undue hardship and/or a direct threat to the agency, the individual, or other employees.
How do I request a Reasonable Accommodation?
1. An employee or job applicant may initiate a request for reasonable accommodation verbally or in writing. This request may be submitted to the employee’s supervisor or the EO office. An accommodation request from an applicant should be made to the Office of Human Resources Recruiter.
2. If submitted verbally, the supervisor, point of contact, and/or the RA Case Manager should ask the employee or applicant to put their request in writing using a Written Request for Reasonable Accommodation (Appendix A). If the employee or applicant is unable to submit a written request, the supervisor, point of contact, and/or the RA Case Manager must complete the request and should have the employee or applicant sign the request.
Who can request a Reasonable Accommodation?
In order for a DIA officer to be entitled to a reasonable accommodation, the officer must have a “disability” pursuant to the definition outlined in the Rehabilitation Act, 1973 (Section 504), as amended. Contractors should contact their parent company to submit a request for reasonable accommodation.
What are the employee’s responsibilities?
- Initiate a request verbally or in writing to the immediate supervisor.
- In the absence of the immediate supervisor, a request can be made to a higher-level supervisor within the employee’s chain of command or EO.
- Provide medical documentation if required (submit directly to EO only).
What are a supervisor’s responsibilities?
- Submit employee's request to EO within 2 days of receiving it.
- Process the request within 60 days if there are no extenuating circumstances. EO facilitates this process.
- Document, track and monitor the effectiveness of the reasonable accommodation.
- Maintain confidentiality.
Additional questions?
The Equal Opportunity Office (EO) is committed to providing accommodations to qualified individuals with a disability. The Reasonable Accommodations Team provides guidance and assistance to promote healthy workplace practices and consultation on disability management services to DIA managers, supervisors, and employees.
Contact the Equal Opportunity Office from the Contact Us page.