There are 120 FEPAs located in 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Such letters state whether the investigation has or has not found reasonable cause to believe that discrimination occurred. Mediation is an alternative type of dispute resolution procedure offered by the EEOC soon after receiving a charge of discrimination. The goal of mediation is to achieve resolution without lengthy investigations or a lawsuit. Under the EEOC's mediation program, selected charges are removed from the regular pool of charges and the parties are invited to meet together with a third party the mediator to discuss their problems and develop their own solutions.
Participation is strictly voluntary on both sides.
Most EEOC offices and FEPAs have large backlogs of pending cases. Only charges appearing especially strong are to receive full investigations. Although most FEPAs do not have formal charge priority policies, they too probably informally prioritize investigations based on the apparent strength of charges. Under Title I of the ADA, employers must provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Accommodations are changes to the work environment or the way things are usually done that allow an individual with a disability to enjoy equal employment opportunities.