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NOAA Workforce Management Office
Serving NOAA's Most Valuable Asset - People
NOAA Reasonable Accommodation Program
Apply for Reasonable Accommodation:
NOAA provides reasonable accommodation for employees with disabilities. A reasonable accommodation is any change in the work environment or in the way things are customarily done that would enable an individual with a disability to enjoy equal employment opportunities. If you have a disability and need to request a reasonable accommodation you can contact your supervisor, or Debbie Ferrara, NOAA's Reasonable Accommodation Coordinator (RAC) at (816) 426-7822 or Debbie.A.Ferrara@noaa.gov.
To Request a Reasonable Accommodation:
To request an accommodation you must complete Form CD-575, Request for Reasonable Accommodation. This form ensures compliance with law/policy and recordkeeping purposes. Depending on the nature of your request, preliminary consultation with the RAC may save you time, energy, and a visit to your health care provider.
Please complete the employee portion (Part A) of Form CD-575 Form CD-575, Request for Reasonable Accommodation and submit it to the RAC (contact information above);
Please read carefully the document Assisting Your Health Care Provider in Preparing Your Medical Documentation. If you have a hidden disability you need to provide medical documentation to the RAC;
The RAC will contact you to discuss your case.
Important Facts:
NOAA follows Departmental Administrative Order (DAO) #215-10 Reasonable Accommodation for Employees and Applicants With Disabilities
No request should be granted or denied without first contacting the RAC. This is to ensure compliance with law/policy and for recordkeeping purposes.
Requests for accommodation should be reviewed by the RAC as soon as they are received by management. Requests need to be processed quickly to comply with Departmental policy.
Requests for reasonable accommodation are CONFIDENTIAL. Only those persons with a "need to know" may be informed of the existence of a request.
Sign Language Interpreting Services
NOAA's provider for sign language interpreting services, TCS Associates, provides a web based interpreter scheduling system that allows Deaf and hard of hearing employees to request an interpreter for a meeting or event 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Members of NOAA's Deaf community are issued individual accounts that provide them access to this scheduling system.
To Establish an Account:
Supervisors of Deaf employees new to NOAA should notify the NOAA Reasonable Accommodation Coordinator (RAC) to have an account established for the employee in the TCS interpreter scheduling system. The RAC will then notify TCS to create an account for the employee to become an authorized user. (Please Note: The TCS scheduling system is only accessible to Deaf and hard of hearing employees and designated program administrators within WFMO.)
To Cancel a Request:
A request may be canceled by sending an email to scheduler@tcsassociates.com at least two full business days in advance of the event. In instances where an employee is not able to cancel a request, the employee's supervisor may email TCS at the above email address to cancel.
To Request a Sign Language Interpreter for a NOAA-wide Event:
Do you need a sign language interpreter for a NOAA-wide meeting or event you are sponsoring? Complete the on-line request form for Interpreter Services at: http://www.wfm.noaa.gov/interpreter/interpreterservice.php at least 5 business days in advance of the event.
To learn more about this program, visit the NOAA Sign Language Interpreting Services Program Business Rules
Page last edited: December 12, 2011
