The Defense Intelligence Agency’s success depends on the skills of its diverse 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 supports and leverages equality of opportunity, 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; leave; part-time or modified work schedules; acquiring or modifying equipment; changing tests, training materials, or policies; providing qualified readers or interpreters; and reassignment.

Reasonable accommodation does not include the elimination of 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; or providing personal use items when they are not specifically designed or required to meet job-related rather than personal needs (e.g. – wheelchair, eyeglasses, hearing aids).

Reasonable accommodations must be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities unless to do so would cause undue hardship and/or direct threat to the agency or create a direct threat to the individual or other employees.

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.

How do I request a Reasonable Accommodation?

An employee or job applicant may initiate a request for reasonable accommodation orally 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.

If submitted orally, 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.

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 30 days if there are no extenuating circumstances. EO facilitates this process.
• Document, track and monitor the effectiveness of the reasonable accommodation.
• Maintain confidentiality.

What if I have additional questions?

The Equal Opportunity and Diversity 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 and Diversity Office from the Contact DIA page.

Associated Forms

DIAG 1020.1-1
RA Medical Form
Appendix A-RA Request Form
DIA FY 23 Affirmative Action Plan

CIVILIANS

DIA’s Resolution and Investigations Division, within the Equal Opportunity and Diversity Office (EO), processes all allegations of discrimination in which an employee, applicant, or former employee asserts they received unfair treatment based on one or more of the Protected EEO bases below

Protected EEO Bases:

• Race
• Color
• Religion
• National Origin
• Sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy)
• Age (40 or older)
• Disability (mental and/or physical)
• Genetic Information
• Reprisal/Retaliation (due to prior participation in an EEO matter and those opposing discriminatory behavior)

The DIA EEO complaints process is open to all DIA employees, applicants, and former employees. Military members and contractors follow a separate process within their respective services/companies, and in most cases are not eligible to use the civilian EEO complaints process at DIA. They may, however, contact a DIA EEO counselor for general guidance and referral, as appropriate. Our expert and impartial staff of professionals take every concern seriously and engage with employees and managers during EEO counseling and investigation.

Individuals who believe they have been discriminated against and want to initiate the complaints process must contact an EEO Counselor within 45 days from the date of the alleged discriminatory event, the date they became aware of the event, or the effective date of a personnel action.

Contact an EEO Counselor from the Contact DIA page.

MILITARY

Military personnel who believe that they have been subjected to unlawful discrimination based on their race, color, gender, religion, or national origin may file a complaint within 60 days of when they knew or became aware of the discriminatory act.

Contact the Military Equal Opportunity (MEO) Program Manager from the Contact DIA page.

On January 3, 2017, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued a final ruling amending the regulations implementing Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The amended regulations require Federal agencies, as an affirmative obligation, to provide personal assistance services, absent undue hardship, to individuals who need them because of their targeted disability, such as traumatic brain injury and paralysis. PAS provides assistance with performing activities of daily living that individuals would typically perform if they did not have a disability, such as eating and using the restroom. Agencies are only required to provide PAS when the individual is working or on work-related travel. Employees requesting PAS shall notify their supervisor and the Equal Opportunity and Diversity Office’s Reasonable Accommodation team at 202-231-8178 to initiate the process.

Special emphasis programs are an integral part of the DIA Equal Opportunity Program. The programs ensure that Federal agencies take affirmative steps to provide equal opportunity to women, minorities and people with disabilities in all areas of employment. They focus special attention on groups that historically have been conspicuously absent or underrepresented in a specific occupational category or grade level in the Agency’s workforce. DIA’s special emphasis programs include: Asian American and Pacific Islander Program; African American Program; Federal Women’s Program; Hispanic Empowerment Program; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Employment Program; Native American Program; and People with Disabilities Program. These programs serve as a channel to management officials and their goals are to:

• Improve employment and advancement opportunities for minorities, women and people with disabilities in Federal service.
• Identify systemic causes of discrimination against minorities, women and people with disabilities.
• Seek ways to help minorities, women and people with disabilities to advance by using their skills fully.
• Monitor the Agency’s progress in eliminating discrimination and adverse impact on minorities, women and people with disabilities in employment and programs.
• Educate employees and managers about the extent of various forms of discrimination within the Federal service, and their role in creating an environment that is free of discrimination and harassment.