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Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

RVARC is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer and to provide a work environment that is free of discrimination and harassment. Employment decisions at RVARC are based on agency need, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to any status protected by law. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may come from a less traditional background. RVARC may consider an equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, education, and experience to meet minimum qualifications. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for the role.

Title VI Policy

RVARC assures that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987 (Public Law 100.259), be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity. RVARC further assures that every effort will be made to ensure nondiscrimination in all of its programs and activities, whether those programs and activities are federally funded or not. In the event RVARC distributes federal-aid funds to another governmental entity, it will include Title VI language in all written agreements and will monitor for compliance.

Why Do We Ask For Zip Code and Race/Ethnicity

At the end of surveys, we routinely ask for demographic information such as zip code and race/ethnicity. Typically, about 80% of survey respondents answer the demographic questions. After a few days, we analyze this information, compare it to the regional population, and target demographic categories for additional outreach, such as paid ads or in person pop-up booths. We are always experimenting with different ways to let people know about our surveys, keeping the successful strategies and dropping the others. For example, Facebook Ads to individual zip codes led to many responses from those zip codes but Google Ads did not. Our efforts are paying off as we see increases in overall numbers of responses as well as increases in the percentage from traditionally hard-to-reach demographics.

Notice Under the Americans with Disabilities Act

In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany-Regional Commission (RVARC) and the Roanoke Valley Transportation Planning Organization (RVTPO) will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs or activities.

Employment: The RVARC and the RVTPO does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment practices and complies with all regulations promulgated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under Title I of the ADA.

Effective Communication: The RVARC and the RVTPO will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities so they can participate equally in Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) programs, services and activities, including qualified sign language interpreters, documents in Braille, and other ways of making information and communications accessible to people who have speech, hearing or vision impairments.

Modifications to Policies and Procedures: The RVARC and the RVTPO will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services and activities.

Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a RVARC and/or RVTPO program, service or activity, should submit a Request for Accommodations form to the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission ADA Coordinator Bryan Hill, as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event. To submit the form, or for more information and/or assistance in completing the form, please contact the ADA Coordinator, Bryan Hill, P.O. Box 2569, Roanoke, VA 24010, (540) 343-4417 voice, 711 (Telecommunications Relay Service), (540) 343-4416 fax, [email protected]. Please keep a copy of the completed form for your records and future reference.

The ADA does not require the RVARC or the RVTPO to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or services, or impose any undue financial or administrative burden.

Complaints that a RVARC and RVTPO program, service or activity is not accessible to persons with disabilities should be directed to Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission ADA Coordinator Bryan Hill, 540-343-4417, 711, [email protected].

The RVARC and the RVTPO will not place a surcharge on a particular individual with a disability or any group of individuals with disabilities to cover the cost of providing auxiliary aids/services or reasonable modifications of policy.

RVARC/RVTPO Grievance Procedure Under the Americans with Disabilities Act

In addition to the above Notice, the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission and the Roanoke Valley Transportation Planning Organization have established a Grievance Procedure to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).
For more information, refer to the Grievance Procedure or contact ADA Coordinator Bryan Hill, 540-343-4417, [email protected].