USDA TARGET Center's Guide to Requesting Assistive Technology Accommodations

The following instructions are provided to assist USDA employees seeking reasonable accommodations in the form of assistive technology only. Detailed information on these and other accommodation procedures can be found in the Departmental Manual 4300.002, the Departmental Reasonable Accommodation Procedures.

1) The USDA employee should meet with his/her supervisor and identify his/her need(s). The employee should also provide a completed CONFIRMATION OF REQUEST FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION form to his/her supervisor.

2a) If the employee has an obvious disability or a previously documented medical condition that qualifies him/her as an individual with a disability and the request is related to the known disability, the supervisor may immediately approve the request by completing and signing the REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION INFORMATION REPORTING form and sending a copy to the agency Disability Employment Program Manager (DEPM), the employee, and to the USDA TARGET Center (Fax: 202-720-2681); or

2b) If the employee does not have an obvious disability or previously documented medical condition that qualifies him/her as an individual with a disability, the supervisor may request that the employee provide sufficient and reasonable documentation of his/her medical condition to the Mission Area Designee, who will determine, in consultation with the USDA Medical Officer, as necessary, whether the employee is an individual with a disability.

3) Mission Area Designee may only request sufficient additional medical documentation to substantiate that the employee has a disability and that the disability is relevant to the reasonable accommodation requested. No other unrelated medical documentation may be requested, and all documentation provided will be kept in strict compliance with confidentiality regulations. All medical documentation and information about functional limitations must be kept in files separate from the individual's personnel file.

4) After reviewing applicable documents, the Mission Area Designee shall convey the decision of whether the employee is an individual with a disability to the employee, the employee's supervisor, the USDA TARGET Center (Fax: 202-720-2681), and to the agency Disability Employment Program Manager (DEPM).

5) When the USDA TARGET Center receives the signed request form from the employee, a needs assessment will be performed (if necessary) and accommodation recommendations will be entered into the TARGET Center's Reasonable Accommodation Tracking Database. A trial or loan of the recommended technology may be arranged when possible. When both the employee and the USDA TARGET Center are in agreement with the recommended assistive technology, the USDA TARGET Center will forward the Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) Accommodation Request Form for purchase of the assistive technology. The USDA TARGET Center will be available for follow-up support or technical consultations if the employee or supervisor has any questions or concerns. For more information, contact the USDA TARGET Center on (202)720-2600 (v/tty), or via email at target-center@usda.gov.

** Rural Development employees are urged to contact the MidWest TARGET Center on (314) 539-3800 or email Betty Gahn for assistance with these procedures.