The U.S. Department of Agriculture is committed to making its electronic and information technologies accessible to individuals with disabilities by meeting or exceeding the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended in 1998. Section 508 is a federal law that requires agencies to provide individuals with disabilities equal access to electronic information and data comparable to those who do not have disabilities, 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 within this law. More information on Section 508 and the technical standards can be found at www.section508.gov. If you have feedback or concerns related to the accessibility of any content on this website, please contact Brenda Chapin, OCE Webmaster by email at bchapin@oce.usda.gov; phone 202-720-5447. If applicable, please include the Web address or URL and the specific problems you have encountered. If you have comments and/or questions related to the agency’s Section 508 program, please contact the OCE 508 Coordinator Jennifer Lohr by email at jlohr@oce.usda.gov; phone 202-720-8024. OCE Anti-Harassment Policy StatementOCE Special Emphasis ProgramAs part of measuring and assessing OCE participation and progress to meet its civil rights commitment, OCE established a Special Emphasis Program (SEP) for African Americans, American Indian/Alaska Natives; Asian American/Pacific Islanders; Persons with Disabilities; Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered; Hispanics; and Women. Because OCE only has only 49 staff members, one senior manager was named to oversee all SEP groups. The manager educates supervisors, managers and employees on the goals and objectives of SEPs through the development of articles for organizational newsletters related to SEP issues, programs, and activities. To promote sharing of ideas and activities, the Chief Economist has also formed a Special Emphasis Program (SEP) Committee to monitor employment policies, practices, and procedures at OCE. The Civil Rights Director, the SEPM, the Assistant SEPM, the Diversity Ambassador, the Cultural Transformation Coordinator, and the Cultural Transformation Assistant Coordinator work together to determine the existence of barriers to full participation as defined by the Agencies and report findings to the Chief Economist with recommendations. Contact information follows: Civil Rights Director – Linda Abbott: 202-401-0497 Last Updated: 07/30/2013 |