Executive Order on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce
Part of President Biden’s Executive Order 14035 Advance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) in the Federal Workforce calls on federal agencies to ensure that their facilities are fully accessible to employees with disabilities as required by the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA). Agencies also must maximize the accessibility of their workplaces to reduce the need for reasonable accommodations. The Executive Order requires the U.S. Access Board to work with Office of Management and Budget, Office of Personnel Management, and General Services Administration to support agencies in achieving these goals.
In March 2022, the Access Board developed its DEIA Strategic Plan to advance and embed DEIA throughout its workforce. The plan includes four goals to foster a culture that exemplifies teamwork, embraces innovation, and values diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility to achieve mission excellence.
The Access Board also developed a set of DEIA recommendations and resources to aid agencies in drafting the portions of their strategic plans required under Executive Order 14035 dealing with accessibility.