Departmental
Responsibility
The Director of the Departmental Office of
Civil Rights (DOCR) is responsible for ensuring
the uniform and consistent application of civil rights policies, regulations,
statutes and guidance throughout the Department as delegated under 49 Code of Federal
Regulations, Section 1.70. This responsibility includes working closely with and providing
policy guidance to the Department's Secretarial Officers and Operating Administrations
concerning civil rights matters. Operationally, the DOCR Policy and Quality Control Division
assists the Director in accomplishing civil rights policy-related responsibilities.
This Division also serves as the DOCR central receipt and control point for all internal
and external civil rights policy-related documents or actions requiring the
DOCR Director's attention and/or approval. The
Division works collaboratively as a team member
with other DOCR Divisions to respond to
policy-related matters. If you have questions or require assistance
concerning DOT civil rights policy-related matters,
the Division will provide support and refer you
to the appropriate DOCR Division, as necessary.
DOCR staff contact information is available in
the Contact Information section.
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Core Civil Rights Policies
As a model Federal agency and employer, DOT
is committed to:
- Maintaining a work environment that is free of
discrimination, and eliminating barriers to
equal employment opportunity for employees and
applicants for employment.
- Ensuring zero tolerance of employee harassment
on the basis of race, color, national origin,
religion, age (40 and over), sex, disability, and sexual
orientation.
- Providing employment, placement, reasonable
accommodation, and advancement opportunities for
individuals with disabilities; prohibiting
discrimination against qualified individuals
with disabilities; and ensuring equitable access
to programs, services, and information to
persons with disabilities.
- Ensuring that the needs of employees with
disabilities are considered in Departmental
emergency preparedness planning. You may
visit our
Emergency Preparedness
and Individuals with Disabilities web page
to view this important information.
- Protecting employees, former Federal employees
and job applicants from interference when making
protected disclosures (Whistleblowing) and from
retaliation for having made protected
disclosures.
- Communicating civil rights-related policies, guidelines and procedures
affecting external civil rights program responsibilities to DOT Operating Administrations
and external customers.
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National
Transportation Civil Rights Initiatives
DOCR is involved in major Presidential,
Cabinet level, and State and local government
transportation-related civil rights initiatives
that potentially may have national policy
implications.
As a result of the ever present potential for
major catastrophic events such as terrorist
attacks, pandemic influenza outbreaks,
earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes and
tornadoes, the DOCR civil rights national policy
role has increased emphasis on:
- Providing transportation-related national
emergency preparedness and evacuation guidance
for state and local government entities in
meeting the needs of people with disabilities,
persons with medical conditions, and other
special needs populations such as elderly
individuals and persons living in an
institutionalized setting, during a catastrophe
or health crisis.
The Cabinet level Coordinating Council on Access
and Mobility (CCAM) was established by Executive
Order 13330, Human Service Transportation
Coordination. The CCAM is chaired by the
Secretary of Transportation with membership
consisting of the Secretaries of Health and
Human Services, Education, Labor, Veterans
Affairs, Agriculture, Housing and Urban
Development, and the Interior; the Attorney
General and the Commissioner of Social Security;
and such other Federal official as the Council
Chairperson may designate. The Council is tasked
with:
(a) promoting interagency cooperation and the
establishment of appropriate mechanisms to
minimize duplication and overlap of Federal
programs and services so that
transportation-disadvantaged persons have access
to more transportation services
(b) facilitating access to the most appropriate,
cost-effective transportation services within
existing resources.
(c) encouraging enhanced customer access to the
variety of transportation and resources
available.
(d) formulating and implementing administrative,
policy, and procedural mechanisms that enhance
transportation services at all levels.
(e) developing and implementing a method for
monitoring progress on achieving the goals of
the Executive Order.
The DOCR Director and the DOCR Chief of Policy
and Quality Control provide civil rights
policy-related programmatic support to the
Secretary in carrying out CCAM objectives and
planned activities.
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Major
Initiatives and/or Projects Currently
Underway
DOCR is a member of the Special Needs (SN)
Workgroup of the Department of Homeland
Security's National Response Plan (NRP) Review
Team. The NRP establishes a comprehensive
all-hazards approach to enhance the ability of
the United States to manage domestic incidents.
The SN Workgroup is focusing on ensuring that
considerations for special needs populations are
incorporated appropriately within the NRP. DOCR
staff is focused on addressing the
transportation requirements and resources for
special need populations as part of the NRP.
Special needs populations will require
additional response capabilities and may include
people:
- with various disabilities
- who live in institutionalized setting
- who are elderly
- who are from diverse cultures
- with limited English proficiency or who are non-English speaking
- who are transportation disadvantaged
- children
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Contact
Information
If you have questions and/or require
assistance concerning Departmental Civil Rights
policy related matters, please contact:
U.S. Department of Transportation
Departmental Office of Civil Rights
Attn: Ms.
Caffin Gordon, Associate Director
Policy and Quality Control
Division (S-35)
1200 New Jersey Ave, S.E.
Washington, DC 20590
Phone: 202-366-4648
TTY: 202-366-8538
Fax: 202-366-5575/9371
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