CHARTER

GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER

EQUAL ACCESSIBILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

July 16, 2008

I. AUTHORITY

> The Goddard Space Flight Center's Equal Accessibility Advisory
> Committee (EAAC) is established by authority of the Center Director.
> It operates under this Charter and is consistent with the efforts
> promoted through Executive Order 11478, U.S. Equal Employment
> Opportunity Commission Equal Opportunity Management Directive 715; NPD
> 3713.2G, Federal Equal Opportunity Programs of NASA; GPD 3713.1A
> Goddard Space Flight Center Equal Opportunity Advisory Committees; and
> other statutes and regulations that govern Goddard\'s equal
> opportunity program. Its establishment is recognized officially as
> appropriate for this Center.

II. PURPOSE

> The EAAC's purpose is to assist all levels of management in creating
> an environment that is conducive to the recognition, development,
> understanding, and utilization of the abilities, skills, and knowledge
> of employees with accessibility needs, including disabled veterans, in
> order to achieve maximum productivity. The sponsoring organization is
> the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs (EOPO), Code 120.
>
> For the purpose of this charter, the term "accessibility needs"
> relates to permanent or temporary disabilities and medical conditions
> that would benefit from a reasonable accommodation for equal access
> and full inclusion within NASA.

III\. OBJECTIVES

> The committee is chartered to:
>
> A. Provide advice, guidance, and recommendations, to the Director, in
> planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating the Center\'s
> affirmative action program on the employment and advancement of people
> with accessibility needs, including disabled veterans;

B.  Serve as a focal point for the concerns of employees on matters
    affecting their employment at Goddard Space Flight Center through
    personal contact with the Director, senior staff, and other
    officials of the Center;

C.  Provide educational forums for employees and managers on issues
    concerning individuals with accessibility needs, including disabled
    veterans, and,

D.  Help resolve Center wide problems affecting employees with
    accessibility needs, including disabled veterans.

IV\. MEMBERSHIP

> The membership of the committee will primarily consist of employees
> with accessibility needs and medical conditions. Individuals, without
> accessibility needs, who have a strong interest in, or personal
> experience with, issues of concern to people with accessibility needs,
> are also eligible for membership. However, a majority of the
> membership will consist of people with accessibility needs. In an
> effort to better address the concerns of veterans with disabilities or
> accessibility needs, it is the goal of the committee that there will
> be at least one member of the committee who is also a disabled
> veteran.
>
> The committee will consist of between 9 and 15 civil servant
> representatives and up to 2 contractor members. Each Directorate will
> have at least one civil servant representative, if possible.
> Additional numbers of representatives for each Directorate will be
> determined by the Chief, EOPO and will be roughly based on the number
> of individuals with accessibility needs, in each of the Directorates.
> The representative distribution will be re-evaluated at the end of
> each calendar year.
>
> In constituting the EAAC, consideration will be given to
> representation of a broad range of challenges and medical (temporary
> and permanent) conditions. As with other advisory committees,
> membership shall also include representation from each directorate,
> skill group, supervisory & non-management levels, while ensuring
> demographic diversity among its membership. The committee will make
> further recommendations to ensure inclusiveness.
>
> Each member will serve for a term of 3 years. Terms will be staggered
> so that only 1/3 turns over in a given year. Normally, members will
> serve no more than two consecutive terms. If the initial appointment
> was for a period of 18 months or less (see IX), a member can then be
> appointed for up to two full terms. The Equal Opportunity Programs
> Office Chief will approve any exceptions. The committee structure and
> selection process will be reviewed in the fall of each year. The EAAC
> year is from January through December, which allows for a smooth
> transition during the fall quarter.
>
> In addition to the voting members described above*,* the Office of
> Human Capital Management (OHCM), and the EOPO, as well as the
> following organizations in the Management Operations Directorate (MOD)
> \-- Planning Office and Engineering Branch within the Facilities
> Management Division, and the Chief Information Office (CIO), will each
> have an ex-officio member on the committee. Union officials and/or
> representatives are invited to participate in meetings. However, union
> representatives will have privileges extending to participation in
> discussions and serving on sub-committees, will not be extended voting
> privileges on issues brought before the subcommittees or full
> committee.
>
> The Disability Program Manager (DPM) has the responsibility for
> convening an ad hoc panel for the purpose of reviewing/interviewing
> applicants for the EAAC and nominating new members. The ad hoc panel
> shall consist of the EAAC Chair, the DPM, the Senior Level Champion,
> and possibly 1-2 members of the constituent group. The DPM shall
> ensure that the makeup of the panel reflects the diversity within the
> constituent group.

V. COMMITTEE FUNCTIONS

> The committee has a wide range of functions that include:
>
> A. Contributing to the Center\'s annual updates of the affirmative
> action plan for the hiring, placement, and advancement of women,
> minorities, and individuals with accessibility needs (U.S. Equal
> Employment Opportunity Commission Management Directive 715), as well
> as the Disabled Veterans Affirmative Action Plan;
>
> B. Monitoring and evaluating implementation of the plans, recommending
> actions to improve performance in implementing the plan to the Center
> Director, Deputy Director, and other officials of the Center;
>
> C. Assessing Center barriers to the employment and advancement of
> people with accessibility needs, and developing recommendations for
> their elimination. These barriers include, but are not limited to,
> architectural, attitudinal, electronic and information technology,
> environmental, communication, and transportation, that prevent access
> to programs and activities;
>
> D. Monitoring, assessing, and evaluating other Center policies,
> practices, procedures, and issuances, as well as the work of other
> committees, boards, and other special function entities whose work
> products and endeavors affect people with accessibility needs and
> disabled veterans;
>
> E Receiving, considering, and transmitting, as appropriate, proposals,
> statements of problems in directorates, and other recommendations of
> persons on matters relating to issues faced by individuals with
> accessibility needs and disabled veterans. These problems will
> normally be Center wide in scope or encompass more than one
> organization or more than one person;
>
> F. Maintaining liaison with similar committees in other NASA
> installations, NASA Headquarters, and other Governmental agencies;
>
> G. Meeting at least once annually with the Center Director and Deputy
> Director and formally meeting, as needed, with the Chief of EOPO and
> the Directors of the Office of Human Capital Management, and
> Management Operations Directorate. When the need arise, the committee
> may request meetings with relevant program managers to discuss
> problems and assess progress toward their solutions that fall within
> the scope of the committee's purview.
>
> H. Evaluating the effectiveness of the committee\'s structure and
> activities annually and reporting to the Director, recommending
> continuation or termination, and any changes considered desirable in
> the role and structure of the committee; and,

I. Taking the leading role in planning and implementing of, as well as
participation and attendance at activities surrounding Center
commemorative events for people with accessibility needs and disabled
veterans such as Disability in Employment Awareness Month.

J. Serving, at the request of the Chair, on various Center wide or
Directorate standing and ad hoc committees, Work Groups, panels, and
other small group projects or activities that request the representation
of the Committee.

# 

VI\. SUB-COMMITTEES

> The committee will form such sub-committees as it considers necessary,
> on a continuing or [ad hoc]{.underline} basis, to address specific
> issues as employment, training, architectural, attitudinal, electronic
> and information technology, environmental, communication,
> transportation barriers, career development, recruitment; merit
> promotion; special events, committee membership; etc.

# 

# VII. DECISION-MAKING

Whenever possible, decision-making will be by consensus of all EAAC
members. When voting is required by the Charter, the committee will
assure that, prior to any vote, the views of every person are
communicated, that information is shared, and that committee actions are
taken with full understanding and consent.

Once projects are delegated, the subcommittees will have the authority
to make project decisions. However, the subcommittee chair is expected
to keep the committee informed of their progress and to address any
issues raised.

## VIII. COMMITTEE OFFICERS

> The committee will elect a Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary from among
> its members. The Chair and Vice Chair will serve for a period of 1
> year and the Secretary will serve for a period of 1 year. The same
> individual will typically not serve as chair for more than 2
> consecutive years. Subcommittee chairs will be selected as needed.

IX\. DUTIES

> The Chair, or in his/her absence, the Vice Chair, will develop an
> agenda, based on member suggestions, and facilitate each meeting. The
> Secretary will prepare minutes of the Committee meeting, including
> Committee decisions, attaching any documents/work products drafted or
> submitted by appointed committees for consideration of the total
> membership. This information will be E-mailed to all Committee members
> within one week after the meeting.
>
> The Vice-Chair will serve in the absence of the Chair. The Vice-Chair
> will also coordinate the activities of the sub-committees and provide
> necessary monitoring and guidance in all the work of the
> sub-committees.
>
> Under most circumstances, members have a responsibility to educate
> themselves on the issues and participate in the Committee process and
> efforts. Members will have two weeks to respond, request
> clarifications, and suggest edits, etc., before any decisional
> material is presented to the full Committee for a vote. Reports and
> recommendations that are officially approved by the Committee will be
> forwarded to the Director.

X. COMMITTEE MEETINGS (FREQUENCY AND ABSENCES)

> Meetings will be held once a month. Its members will determine the
> need for additional meetings. Meetings of sub-committees will be on an
> as-needed basis.
>
> Members can be excused from meetings due to illness, conflicting work
> assignments or scheduled leave. If a member knows in advance that she
> or he will be absent for more than two consecutive meetings, he or she
> may request that an alternate be appointed. The DPM will forward the
> request to the appropriate Director of. If a member who has not made
> provision for an alternate misses three consecutive meetings, or four
> meetings over the course of 12 months, the committee may dismiss the
> individual by a vote of the majority of the committee. In the case
> where an accessibility need hindered a member's ability to attend
> meetings, consideration will be given regarding their individual
> circumstance and future ability to participate in committee meetings
> and activities. The DPM will notify the member that a vote is pending
> 10 days prior to the Committee vote. The member will have an
> opportunity to request renewal of her or his participation.

XI\. FILLING VACANCIES

> Vacancies occurring on the committee for any reason will be filled in
> the same manner as the position was filled originally. The vacancy
> will be filled until the expiration of the appointment of the vacating
> member, at which time the new member may be reappointed to serve a
> full term.

XII\. COMMITTEE DURATION

> The committee will be a standing committee of indefinite duration with
> continuance dependent on the annual evaluation and Director\'s
> approval.

XIII\. COMMITTEE SUPPORT

> The Chief, EOPO will be responsible for management control and
> logistic support functions for the committee. On a day-to-day basis,
> the Chief, EOPO will exercise this responsibility through an
> appropriate person on EOPO staff.

XIV\. COMMITTEE CHARTER AMENDMENTS

> This charter stands until revised by the committee with a two-thirds
> vote of the membership and final approval by the Center Director.

Approved:

Robert D. Strain

Director, Goddard Space Flight Center