Reasonable Accommodations for USA Hire

Applicants requesting a reasonable accommodation for the USA Hire Assessments should follow the guidance provided below and in the Job Announcement.

Overview

In accordance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities when appropriate. This page only explains the process for requesting a reasonable accommodation for the USA Hire Assessments. You will also find instructions for submitting the documents required for making a request. Reasonable accommodation requests must be made prior to beginning the USA Hire Assessments.

Note: Applicants who may need an accommodation for any other part of the application and hiring process other than the USA Hire Assessments should contact the Point of Contact(s) listed in the Job Announcement.

Resources

• USA Hire Reasonable Accommodation Request Form
• USA Hire Online Assessment Information

Determining if Reasonable Accommodation is Required

What is a reasonable accommodation for a USA Hire Assessment?

Reasonable accommodations for the USA Hire Assessments are modifications to the online testing process that may be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities as provided for in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. The purpose of an accommodation is to provide equal access to the assessment process for applicants with disabilities. Applicants who request a reasonable accommodation will have their request reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Requests that are determined to be warranted and reasonable for the required Assessment(s) will be considered for approval.

How do I know if I will need an accommodation for this assessment process?

Examples of the types of assessments that may be administered can be found here. Please review these questions and their accompanying instructions carefully. If your disability affects your performance with these types of questions, then please submit a request for a reasonable accommodation. If you still have questions about the process, please contact the USA Hire Reasonable Accommodations Team by submitting a help desk ticket. All requests for reasonable accommodations for the USA Hire Assessments received by specified deadlines will be considered on a case-by-case basis. There is no standard set of accommodations available. If you need a specific accommodation, please follow the steps outlined for requesting that accommodation.

Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation

How do I request a reasonable accommodation for the assessment process?

If the Job Announcement is open, during the online application process, respond "Yes" to the question asking if you would like to claim a reasonable accommodation for the USA Hire Assessments. Reasonable Accommodations for taking the online assessments are provided on a case-by-case basis only to qualified individuals with a disability covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Do you have a disability (physical or mental) that you believe will interfere with completing the online assessments and require a Reasonable Accommodation? A. Yes B. No Note: You may be able to update your application to modify your response to this question at any time while the Job Announcement is open. If you've already applied to the Job Announcement but it is now closed or does not allow you to modify your response, please contact the USA Hire Reasonable Accommodations Team by submitting a help desk ticket. Your request for an accommodation must be made before the assessment completion deadline and before you begin the USA Hire Assessments.

What documents do I need to provide to verify my eligibility for an assessment reasonable accommodation?

You must provide: A. A completed USA Hire Reasonable Accommodation Request Form and B. Medical documentation from a qualified professional that includes the following information: What is the disability, to include how it affects your ability to complete the assessments? What accommodation is requested to assist with the assessments? How will the accommodation help you take the assessments?

What responsibilities do I have as an applicant?

You are responsible to complete the application for the Job Announcement and respond to the Reasonable Accommodation question within the questionnaire. Once your application is submitted you will receive an email from the Reasonable Accommodations Help Desk outlining what is required. If you did not request reasonable accommodation at the time of application and wish to do so after the close of the Job Announcement, contact the USA Hire Reasonable Accommodations Team by submitting a help desk ticket. Your request for an accommodation must be made before the assessment completion deadline and before you begin the USA Hire Assessments. Once you receive the Help Desk email, provide the requested USA Hire Reasonable Accommodation Request Form and medical documentation to support your reasonable accommodation request. Supporting documentation must be from a qualified professional providing the following: What is the disability, to include how it affects your ability to complete the assessments? What accommodation is requested to assist with the assessments? How will the accommodation help you take the assessments? Be responsive to the USA Hire Reasonable Accommodations Team by providing information and documentation in a timely manner prior to provided deadline(s). Note: Certain IT security programs and configurations (such as firewalls and antivirus suites used by many employers) can interfere with your ability to communicate with and/or submit supporting documents to the USA Hire Reasonable Accommodation team. You will receive a confirmation email once the USA Hire Reasonable Accommodation team verifies it has received documentation you send. If you do not receive a confirmation from the USA Hire Reasonable Accommodation team within two business days, your documents have not been received. If this has occurred, please reply to your ticket email to make alternative arrangements to submit your documents. Do not access the USA Hire Assessment(s) before the accommodation decision is made. Once notified of the reasonable accommodation decision via Help Desk ticket, access and complete the USA Hire Assessments within the deadline provided (a minimum of 48-hours) provided in your email invitation.

What responsibilities does the USA Hire Program Office have?

Assessment Reasonable Accommodation considerations: Assessment accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis by reviewing submitted documentation. The USA Hire Reasonable Accommodations Team will determine if the requested accommodation(s) are reasonable by considering whether the requested accommodation(s) will impact the assessment of applicant qualifications. Communication requirements: The applicant will be informed of what is required to submit a request. An approved accommodation will be of a type that presents minimal risk of undermining the assessment’s validity or providing an undue advantage to the applicant. After the accommodation determination is made, the applicant will be notified via Help Desk Ticket email and provided access to the assessments. Internal documentation requirements: All supporting documentation including medical records and rationale used for final adjudication decisions will be retained in accordance with USA Hire Reasonable Accommodation Program policy.

What Standards are applied in the Reasonable Accommodation Process?

Applicants who did not request a reasonable accommodation in their initial application, but would like to make a request, must submit for a reasonable accommodation via a help desk ticket before the assessment(s) completion deadline and before beginning the USA Hire Assessments. Applicants who begin a USA Hire Assessment without an accommodation must complete that assessment in the unaccommodated form and cannot retake that assessment with a reasonable accommodation until the applicable retest interval has expired. Note: Please refer to the Job Opportunity Announcement text for specific deadlines for the submission of the application, assessment completion, and assessment response reuse. Applicants are encouraged to submit requests and supporting documentation prior to the close of the Job Opportunity Announcement or arrange with the USA Hire Reasonable Accommodations Team by requesting an extension to continue in the accommodation process. Exemption or waivers from taking the USA Hire Assessments is not a viable form of reasonable accommodation and will not be approved. The determination of an assessment accommodation is not required if the applicant does not meet the minimum qualifications. If an applicant’s claimed disability does not qualify for an accommodation or if there is not a reasonable accommodation that may be offered, the applicant will be provided with access to the unaccommodated version of the USA Hire Assessments. The decision to provide or not provide an assessment reasonable accommodation does not mean the USA Hire Reasonable Accommodations Team has determined an applicant is or is not a person with disability as defined by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, for a reasonable accommodation on the job.

Does receiving a USA Hire Assessment reasonable accommodation mean I would receive a job accommodation if I was selected for the job?

The process for requesting and receiving a USA Hire Assessment reasonable accommodation is not related to the job accommodation process. If you receive a USA Hire Assessment reasonable accommodation, you may or may not need a job accommodation. If you believe you may need a job accommodation, those requests should be requested from the hiring agency after you receive a job offer.

What can I do if I am denied an accommodation for the USA Hire Assessments or disagree with the accommodation that is granted to me?

You will be notified if your request is denied and provided with access to the unaccommodated version of the USA Hire Assessments. If the denial results from inadequate documentation, you may correct any documentation deficiencies and resubmit your request within the timeframes established by the USA Hire Reasonable Accommodations Team. In some instances, the documentation may be sufficient, but may show the nature and severity of the disability does not warrant all or some of the accommodations requested. In other cases, the accommodation requested may not be feasible because it impacts the validity of the test results. If you have questions or concerns regarding the USA Hire Reasonable Accommodation Process, you may contact the USA Hire Reasonable Accommodations Team by submitting a help desk ticket. In addition, you have the right to file an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint and/or other grievance procedure, if you believe that you have been discriminated against because of your race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, or in reprisal for participating in an activity protected by the various civil rights statutes. Please note: An Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint must be filed with the hiring agency or U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) within 45-days of the receipt of the denial notification.

How do I contact the agency human resources for assistance?

To locate the hiring agency for the job announcement: From your USAJOBS home page, after signing into your account, locate the job announcement Click the (+) sign next to the position title to expand the information regarding that announcement. Click the “Full job announcement” link which will appear in the expanded information. Within the job announcement, scroll down to the “Agency contact information” section within the “How to Apply” section to locate the agency point of contact information. Call or email the agency contact provided for assistance.

Removing My Accommodation Request

Can I remove my request for an assessment accommodation?

Yes. If you would like to remove your assessment accommodation request, you may do so prior to the deadline communicated to you in your on-screen application confirmation and in the help desk ticket email. If you do not remove or support your assessment accommodation request by 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) on the deadline date, your application becomes incomplete, and you are removed from further consideration for the job announcement.

How do I remove my assessment accommodation request?

After requesting an assessment accommodation, a help desk ticket is created on your behalf with the USA Hire Reasonable Accommodation Team for your request. You will receive this ticket as an email with the subject line Reasonable Accommodation Ticket - {First Name} {Last Name} – {Announcement Number}. To remove your accommodation request, simply reply to that ticket email no later than 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the deadline communicated indicating you no longer require an assessment accommodation. Alternatively, if you the job announcement is still open, and you would like to update your application to remove your assessment(s) accommodation request yourself, then complete the following steps before the closing date of the announcement. Log into your USAJOBS account, locate your application for this announcement, click the + link to expand it, and then click the Edit my application link. Follow the USAJOBS prompts to navigate to your application. Once in the application system, under the Eligibilities section, update the response to the reasonable accommodation question from “Yes” to “No”. Make sure you continue all the way through and click the Submit Application button at the end. If you are unable to complete either of the above options, contact the USA Hire Reasonable Accommodations Team by submitting a help desk ticket. Next Steps: Once your request has been removed, you will receive an email with a link to the unaccommodated version of the USA Hire Assessment(s). You will need to complete the assessment(s) by the date and time provided in that email to submit a complete application and be considered for that job announcement.

Issues Not Covered Above

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) USA Hire Help Desk is available for individuals seeking technical USA Hire assistance with accessing or completing USA Hire Assessments. Technical assistance is available Monday through Friday 7 AM to 7 PM EST. The Help Desk is closed on weekends and Federal holidays.

A USA Hire Help Desk Ticket can be submitted here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/HelpTicket