Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Programs (EEOP)

Laws and Regulations

The following sections provide links to relevant statutory, regulatory, DoD Instructions, and policies pertaining to Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity.

Background

The ABA is codified in 42 U.S. Code § 4151 through 4157 and defines how the Secretary of Defense is responsible for ensuring that individuals with physical disabilities have ready access and use of DoD buildings and facilities whenever possible, by prescribing standards for their design, construction, and alteration. The ABA applies to facilities designed, built, altered, or leased with certain federal funds, and non-federal facilities which were built or altered with federal grants or loans. The ABA requirements also have defined exceptions and limitations. On October 31, 2008, the Deputy Secretary of Defense adopted the government-wide standards documented in Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, § 1191 as part of the "DoD Standards" to comply with the ABA. – DoD Memorandum - "Access for People with Disabilities"

The complete guidelines can be downloaded from the Government Printing Office's page on 36 CFR § 1191.

Enforcement

The United States Access Board accepts complaints that buildings covered by the ABA do not meet these standards. If you know of a covered building that does not meet the guidelines, you can file a complaint on the Access Board's Complaints Page. Complaints may be filed anonymously.