The Postal Service is responsible for ensuring the competitive nature and validity of the selection process while at the same time providing reasonable accommodation to applicants with known disabilities when applicants request such accommodation.
Examiners must ensure that applicants are given an opportunity to request a testing accommodation by submitting a request to one of the following:
Any person who accepts applications or has contact with applicants must be able to recognize requests for accommodations. An applicant does not have to use any special words, such as “reasonable accommodation” or “Rehabilitation Act.” You must refer applicants requesting reasonable accommodation to the examiner or person responsible for the testing or selection process.
Throughout this process, the Postal Service must engage in an interactive process to clarify the applicant’s needs and identify an appropriate reasonable accommodation.
In cases when the competitive nature and validity of the test are not likely to be affected (e.g., site accessibility), the examiner or Human Resources staff member works out what accommodation, if any, to provide. When there is a question as to whether providing a requested accommodation would preclude validly assessing the applicant’s qualifications, the examiner or district Human Resources staff member must forward the request to the director, Organizational Effectiveness, for final determination.
Once the applicant makes known his or her desire for a testing accommodation, the testing vendor, examiner, or Human Resources (staff or manager) must do the following:
If the testing vendor, examiner, or Human Resources cannot determine an accommodation for a locally administered test, he, she, or Human Resources must submit all requisite documentation to the director, Organizational Effectiveness. Upon receipt of a response from Headquarters, the testing vendor, examiner, or Human Resources (staff or manager) must offer a recommended accommodation (if any) to the applicant and document the accommodation provided using the Reasonable Accommodation Decision Guide (Exhibit 213(b)).
The testing vendor, examiner, or Human Resources (staff or manager) must also do the following:
See Exhibit 335.2 for detailed information on possible testing accommodations for applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Examiners, testing vendors, or Human Resources can make some accommodations locally without consultation if they do not affect the competitive nature or validity of the selection process.
See 333.22 and 333.23 for examples of accommodations that can usually be made locally without prior approval from Headquarters.
A request for accommodation that involves accessibility of the testing site includes, but is not limited to, the following:
In some cases, it may be necessary to schedule a separate session to ensure that the examiner or testing vendor tests the applicants in an accessible site.
The following are other types of accommodations that the examiner, testing vendor, or local Human Resources may provide without consulting Headquarters (Accommodations must be documented in accordance with section 333.1):
Implementing one or a combination of these measures may be appropriate for individual applicants depending on the following:
If the requested accommodation is not on the above list, see 333.3.
The director, Organizational Effectiveness, or designee, must review and approve a proposed accommodation that may affect the competitive nature or the validity of the selection process. This includes any deviation from standardized testing procedures prescribed in the test administration instructions.
In circumstances when there is a question about whether providing a proposed accommodation would interfere with validly assessing the applicant, the examiner or Human Resources staff member must consult the director of Organizational Effectiveness. Supporting documentation must describe the specific accommodation requested and be sufficient to establish the following:
