Departmental hiring and facilities accessibility

(a) In general The Under Secretary of State for Management shall, in consultation with the Office of International Disability Rights, ensure equal access to hiring and recruitment and overseas assignments, for the Civil Service and Foreign Service officers and locally employed staff with disabilities and their family members with chronic medical conditions or disabilities, consistent with the provision of a veterans’ preference in accordance with section 2108 of title 5, United States Code, and related sections and with due consideration for locally employed staff who sustained service-related disabilities while serving as security partners or allies in support of United States military or intelligence operations. (b) Duties The Under Secretary shall— (1) ensure that United States embassies, consulates, and leased facilities abroad are in compliance with United States Access Board standards, including accessibility to people with disabilities, including by— (A) making websites and other forms of communication accessible to people with disabilities and providing reasonable accommodations to program participants; (B) ensuring accessibility of United States Government facilities by contracting with local contractors and subcontractors that meet the requirements of section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 793) to affirmatively hire workers with disabilities, including combat-injured persons with disabilities who served alongside United States forces or in United States-backed conflicts; and (C) consulting with the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contracts Compliance to ensure all Department of State contractors are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.) and section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 793); (2) ensure that the policies and practices for the recruitment and placement of Foreign Service officers and their families encourage the hiring and placement of people with disabilities in compliance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 701 et seq.); (3) consult with the Disability Rights Section of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice to ensure that Department of State hiring is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.) and section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 791); and (4) ensure that policies are in place for hiring locally employed staff in embassies and consulates outside the United States to ensure that accommodations are offered, provided, and funded from the Department’s centralized reasonable accommodation fund, including specialized accommodations for injuries sustained in support of United States national security interests. (c) Facility accessibility The Under Secretary for Management shall, in consultation with the Office of International Disability Rights— (1) ensure that embassies and consulates and their services are accessible to people with disabilities, including with respect to— (A) the physical accessibility of facilities housing embassies and consulates; (B) websites of United States embassies and consulates; (C) public internet and telecommunications; and (D) other means of communication with United States residents and the general public; and (2) ensure diplomatic residences meet the adaptable standards set by the Director of the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations.