VEVRAA and Section 503 Compliance
Emory University and Emory Healthcare are committed to nondiscrimination and affirmative action for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
As a federal contractor, we must engage in nondiscrimination and affirmative action towards protected veterans and individuals with a disability under the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act, as amended, and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, respectively, and their implementing regulations. We are required to implement our written affirmative action plans (AAPs), keep them on file, and update them annually in accordance with federal regulations. A summary of the federal regulations are outlined below:
Section 503 Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended
Prohibits discrimination against and requires affirmative action for qualified individuals with disabilities in all aspects of employment.
Affirmative action obligations include:
- Ensuring nondiscrimination against applicants or employees due to their status as an individual with a disability
- Developing and updating annually an affirmative action program for individuals with disabilities
- Demonstrating outreach and good-faith efforts to eliminate underutilization
- Inviting applicants and employees to self-identify status as an individual with a disability
- Establishing an aspirational utilization goal for individuals with a disability in each job group
- Including an EEO tagline on all job advertisements stating "disability"
- Providing notice of online accommodations process
- Engaging in targeting outreach efforts to attract qualified individuals with a disability
- Assessing external outreach and recruitment efforts
- Providing reasonable accommodations and tracking accommodation requests
- Reviewing physical and mental job requirements in job descriptions to ensure they are job related and consistent with job necessity
Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) Compliance
Prohibits discrimination against veterans with a disability, recently separated veterans, active-duty wartime or campaign-badge veterans, and Armed Forces Services Medal veterans.
VEVRAA requires covered contractors to undertake affirmative action to attract, employ, and advance in employment qualified Vietnam era veterans, special disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, and veterans who served on active duty during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized.
Affirmative action obligations include:
- Ensuring nondiscrimination against applicants or employees due to their status as a veteran
- Developing and updating annually an affirmative action program for veterans
- Demonstrating outreach and good-faith efforts to eliminate underutilization
- Inviting applicants and employees to self-identify status as a veteran
- Establishing a hiring benchmark for protected veterans
- Including an EEO tagline on all job advertisements stating "veteran"
- Engaging in targeting outreach efforts to attract qualified veterans
- Assessing external outreach and recruitment efforts
The university's written affirmative action plans for individuals with disabilities and protected veterans are available for inspection upon request in the Department of Equity and Civil Rights Compliance during normal business hours.