U.S. flag
        An official website of the United States government
          Here’s how you know
        Here’s how you know**Official websites use .gov**
              
                A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
        **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
              
                A **lock** (
              A locked padlock
              ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive
                information only on official, secure websites.  Home
                    *U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission*

      search
      Menu
      Any of these words (optional)
Search

    close
            About EEOC
          
                        
  
    **About EEOC**
                        Overview
                                  The Commission and The General Counsel
                                  Commission Votes
                                  Meetings of the Commission
                                  EEOC History
                                  **News and Information**
                        Newsroom
                                  What You Should Know
                                  Legislative Affairs
                                  Publications
                                  Outreach and Education
                                  FOIA
              **Laws and Enforcement**
                        Laws, Regulations, Guidance and MOUs
                                  Discrimination by Type
                                  Mediation
                                  Litigation
                                  Systemic Enforcement
                                  Commissioner Charges and Directed Investigations
              **Programs and Performance**
                        Budget and Performance
                                  Initiatives
                                  Interagency Programs
                                  State and Local Programs
                                  Task Forces
                                  Tribal Programs
              **Data and Analytics**
                        Overview
                                  Data Governance
                                  EEO Data Collections
                                  Data and Statistics
                                  Data Tools and Products
                                  No FEAR Act Data
                                  **Inside EEOC**
                        Careers
                                  Office for Civil Rights, Diversity and Inclusion
                                  Doing Business with EEOC
                                  Privacy
                                  Office of Inspector General
          
                                            
  
      
                  
                        Employees & Job Applicants
          
                        
  
    **Employees & Applicants**
                        Overview
                                  Coverage
                                  Timeliness
                                  Prohibited Practices
              **Filing a Charge of Discrimination**
                        Filing a Charge
                                  How to File
                                  After You File a Charge
                                  Confidentiality
                                  Mediation
                                  Remedies
                                  Existing Charges
                                  Filing a Lawsuit
              **Discrimination by Type**
                        Age
                                  Disability
                                  Equal Pay
                                  Genetic Information
                                  Harassment
                                  National Origin Discrimination
                                  Pregnancy Discrimination
                                  Race/Color Discrimination
                                  Religious Discrimination
                                  Retaliation
                                  Sex
                                  Sexual Harassment
                                  Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
          
                                  
  
      
                  
                        Employers / Small Business
          
                        
  
    **Employers / Small Business**
                        Overview
                                  Coverage
                                  After a Charge is Filed
                                  Resolving a Charge
                                  Commissioner Charges and Directed Investigations
                                  Remedies
              **Small Business Resource Center**
                        Small Business Home
                                  Small Business Requirements
                                  Frequently Asked Questions
                                  Tips for Small Businesses
                                  Making an Employment Decision?
                                  EEOC Resources
                                  Small Business Assistance
                                  Small Business Fact Sheet
                                  Small Business Videos
                                  EEOC Glossary
                                  Contact Us
              **Discrimination by Type**
                        Age
                                  Disability
                                  Equal Pay
                                  Genetic Information
                                  Harassment
                                  National Origin
                                  Pregnancy
                                  Race/Color
                                  Religion
                                  Retaliation
                                  Sex
                                  Sexual Harassment
                                  Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
                                  Prohibited Practices
              Recordkeeping
                                  EEO Data Collections
                                  "Know Your Rights" Poster
                                  Training
                                  Other Employment Issues
          
                                            
  
      
                  
                        Federal Sector
          
                        
  
    **Federal Agencies**
                        Overview
                                  Federal EEO Coordination
                                  Federal Agency EEO Directors
                                  Laws, Regulations, Guidance & MOUs
                                  Management Directives & Federal Sector Guidance
                                  Federal Training & Outreach
                                  Resources
              **Federal Employees & Job Applicants**
                        Overview
                                  Federal Complaint Process
                                  Federal Sector Alternative Dispute Resolution
                                  Discrimination by Type
                                  Other Federal Protections
                                  Prohibited Practices
                                  Resources
          
                        
  
      
                  
                        Contact Us
          
                        
  
    Contact EEOC
                                  Find Your Nearest Office
                                  Office Operating Status
                                  Frequently Asked Questions

        
                  Languages
    English
              Español (Spanish)
                    Resources in Other Languages
                    عربي (Arabic)
              简体中文 (Chinese, Simplified)
              繁體中文 - Chinese (Traditional)
              Kreyòl Ayisyen (Haitian Creole)
              한국어 (Korean)
              Русском (Russian)
              Tagalog (Tagalog)
              Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
              فارسی (Persian. Farsi)
              پښتو (Pashto)
          

  

  Breadcrumb
Home
  laws
  guidance
  EEOC Efforts for Veterans with Disabilities

                      
                        

          
          
                        EEOC Efforts for Veterans with Disabilities
            

      Issuing Authority
          

  This technical assistance document was issued upon approval of the Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
        

  OLC Control Number
                                              EEOC-NVTA-2020-3


        

  Concise Display Name
                                              EEOC Efforts for Veterans with Disabilities


        

  Issue Date
                                              11-27-2020


        

  General Topics
                                              ADA/GINA


                

  Summary
                                              This document provides information on the ADA for veterans with disabilities, and the EEOC's efforts on their behalf.


        

  Citation
                                              ADA, Rehabilitation Act, 29 CFR Part 1630


        

  Document Applicant
                                              Employees, Employers, Applicants, HR Practitioners


        

  Previous Revision
                                              Yes. This document replaced a 2016 document by the same name.


        Disclaimer
          

  The contents of this document do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public in any way. This document is intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies.Caring for our veterans returning from service is not only an expression of gratitude but a moral obligation. This includes a responsibility to ensure that veterans have opportunities to participate in the workforce and realize their dreams. And it clears the way for every one of us to contribute to our nation's economic engine and social fabric. We all benefit when people who want to work are able to participate in the economy.

Gulf War-era II (post 9/11) veterans returning often after lengthy deployments have suffered from higher unemployment than other veterans and civilians. These veterans also may face discrimination because of mental or physical disabilities. In some cases, veterans face employment policies and practices that rely on myths and stereotypes about individuals with disabilities—such as concerns about employing workers with PTSD—that can prevent veterans from earning a living. In other cases, veterans with disabilities may be unaware of the workplace right to request a reasonable accommodation to allow them to perform jobs for which they are qualified. In any case, unemployment, job loss, or career limitations can lead to financial difficulties that negatively impact the veterans themselves, their families, and our society.

Unfortunately, disability discrimination continues to occur far too often. Charges filed with the EEOC alleging disability discrimination have remained persistently high. In fiscal year 2019, more than a third of all charges and discrimination lawsuits filed by the EEOC included an allegation of disability discrimination.

We have strong laws, like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), to knock down barriers to opportunity facing veterans, but we need targeted outreach to ensure veterans know their rights under the ADA and how to seek enforcement. We also need effective outreach resources to help employers understand how the ADA applies to veterans with disabilities. That's why EEOC is expanding employment opportunities for those who served our country by vigorously enforcing the law and increasing outreach to employers and veterans communities, thereby reducing barriers that prevent veterans from fulfilling their potential. Through private sector enforcement and litigation, policy and outreach work, and efforts in the federal sector, EEOC employees provide important services for veterans with disabilities to ensure that their rights to equal employment opportunity are upheld.

These resource documents—one for veterans and one for employers—help explain rights and responsibilities for veterans with disabilities in the workplace:

Understanding Your Employment Rights Under the Americans with Disabilities Act: A Guide for Veterans answers questions that veterans with disabilities may have about workplace protections that apply when they seek to return to their former jobs or look for civilian jobs.
	Veterans and the Americans with Disabilities Act: A Guide for Employers explains how protections for veterans with disabilities differ under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), and how employers can prevent disability-based discrimination and provide reasonable accommodations.The EEOC also has a responsibility to ensure that the federal government is a "model employer" for individuals with disabilities, which includes veterans with disabilities. The following resources about the hiring of individuals with disabilities into the federal government may help veterans with disabilities seeking federal jobs:

The ABCs of Schedule A details the federal government authority to non-competitively hire individuals with disabilities into federal jobs, complete with separate tips for hiring managers, HR professionals, disability program managers, service providers, and applicants with disabilities.
	Tips for Applicants with Disabilities Applying for Federal Jobs was created by the 10-agency Curbcuts to the Middle Class Initiative to provide helpful information about searching for vacancies, the federal government's application process, and the rights of applicants with disabilities.
	Q&A: Promoting Employment of Individuals with Disabilities in the Federal Workforce explains how the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires equal employment opportunity for individuals with disabilities in the federal government.Additionally, the EEOC has designated staff in offices across the country to assist veterans who may be facing discrimination because of a disability. To reach the appropriate EEOC staff for your region for assistance or information, including to schedule training or outreach for your organization or event, please enter your zip code below:
Zip code search. (optional)
For those who wish to file an employment discrimination complaint, EEOC's website has information, including time frames, about filing charges against private business or state and local government or a federal agency.Return to top

  EEOC Logo, Image
            U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

          EEOC Headquarters
              131 M Street, NE
Washington, DC 205071-800-669-6820 (TTY)1-844-234-5122 (ASL Video Phone)

        Questions?

Call 1-800-669-4000
For Deaf/Hard of Hearing callers:1-800-669-6820 (TTY)1-844-234-5122 (ASL Video Phone)info@eeoc.govFind your nearest EEOC officeFrequently Asked Questions
          Connect With Us

  FOIA
      
    
                      Privacy Policy
      
    
                      Disclaimer
      
    
                      Accessibility
      
    
                      Office of Inspector General
      
    
                      Promoting Access to Voting
      
    
                      USA.gov