Editing § 2.1.i NA2022

==== MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING ====
MANAGEMENT'S RESPONSIBILITY
Management has an obligation to reasonably accommodate deaf and hard
of hearing employees with a disability under the Rehabilitation Act
(the “Act”) and applicants who request assistance in communicating with
or understanding others in work related situations, such as but not limited
to:
a. During investigatory interviews which may lead to
discipline, discussions with a supervisor on job performance
or conduct, corrective actions or presentation of a grievance
pursuant to Article 17 and other provisions of the
Collective Bargaining Agreement.
b. During formal classroom instruction and some aspects of in-
formal training.
c. During portions of EAP programs and EEO counselings.
d. In critical elements of the selection process such as during test-
ing and interviews.
e. During employee orientations and safety talks, CFC and
Savings Bond Kickoff meetings.
f. During the filing or meetings concerning an employee's OWCP
claim.
g. During service talks longer than five (5) minutes and meet-
ings to discuss work procedures, policies and assignments.
h. During meetings to discuss excessing or consolidation and
A reasonable accommodation must be approached on a highly indi-
vidual, case-by-case basis. The individual’s input must be considered
prior to making a decision regarding accommodation.
IMPLEMENTATION
This obligation is met by selecting an appropriate resource from the varie-
ty of resources available. In selecting a resource, the following, among
others, should be considered, as appropriate:
• Management Instruction (MI) regarding Providing Com-
munications Accommodations to Employees and Applicants
who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
• The ability of the deaf and hard of hearing employee to under-
stand various methods of communication and the ability of oth-
ers to understand the deaf and hard of hearing employee.
• The importance of the situation as it relates to work require-
ments, job rights, and benefits.
• The availability and cost of the alternative resources under con-
sideration.
• Whether the situation requires confidentiality.
Available resources which should be considered include, but are not lim-
ited to the following:
a. Installation heads are authorized to pay for certified interpreters.
Every effort will be made to provide certified interpreters when
deemed necessary by an application of the principles set forth
herein. Costs for sign language interpreting services are cov-
ered by a centralized budget at Headquarters.
b. In some states, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR)
provides interpreters at no charge.
c. Volunteer interpreters or individuals skilled in signing may be
obtained from the work force or from the community. A skilled
i. During meetings to discuss retirement options and issues
related job selection.
137
interpreter is anyone who can provide effective interpreta-
tion in the sign language used by the signing employee.
d. In some situations, such as day-to-day instructions and rou-
tine communications, written communications may be appro-
priate based on the employee’s ability to comprehend written
communications.
e. All Postal Service employees who supervise employees who
are deaf and hard of hearing, as well as , training specialists,
EAP, and EEO counselors may be trained in sign language and
must complete Postal Service approved training on the fol-
lowing subjects:
o Effective communications with employees who are
deaf and hard of hearing,
o Providing qualified sign language interpreters.
o Use of VRI and VRS.
f. Deaf and hard of hearing applicants will be scheduled for a spe-
cific examination time when an interpreter will be available.
Management will provide the following assistance for deaf and hard of
hearing employees with a disability under the Act.
a. All films, videos or videotapes designed for the training or in-
struction of regular work force employees developed on or after
October 1, 1987, shall be opened or closed captioned. To the
extent practicable, existing films or videotapes developed na-
tionally that will continue to be used by the deaf and hard of
hearing with some frequency, will be opened or closed cap-
tioned.
g. State or Federal Relay services or other postal approved
~~ technology such as Video Relay Services (VRS) or VRI – if
[[User:Admin|Admin]] ([[User talk:Admin|talk]]) available and authorized or new and evolving technologies
~ t hat are available, authorized and approved, may provide a
~ way for a deaf or hard of hearing employee to conduct postal
~ business by phone or video with other employees and cus-
~ tomers.
h. When possible, interpretating services as described in (a)
~ through (f) above should be scheduled as far in advance as
~ possible.
i.~ In the event of an emergency situation, the Postal Service
~ will s trive to communicate the nature of the emergency as
~ soon a s possible.
137
interpreter is anyone who can provide effective interpreta-
tion in the sign language used by the signing employee.
d. In some situations, such as day-to-day instructions and rou-
tine communications, written communications may be appro-
priate based on the employee’s ability to comprehend written
communications.
e. All Postal Service employees who supervise employees who
are deaf and hard of hearing, as well as , training specialists,
EAP, and EEO counselors may be trained in sign language and
must complete Postal Service approved training on the fol-
lowing subjects:
o Effective communications with employees who are
deaf and hard of hearing,
o Providing qualified sign language interpreters.
o Use of VRI and VRS.
f. Deaf and hard of hearing applicants will be scheduled for a spe-
cific examination time when an interpreter will be available.
Management will provide the following assistance for deaf and hard of
hearing employees with a disability under the Act.
a. All films, videos or videotapes designed for the training or in-
struction of regular work force employees developed on or after
October 1, 1987, shall be opened or closed captioned. To the
extent practicable, existing films or videotapes developed na-
tionally that will continue to be used by the deaf and hard of
hearing with some frequency, will be opened or closed cap-
tioned.
g. State or Federal Relay services or other postal approved
~~ technology such as Video Relay Services (VRS) or VRI – if
[[User:Admin|Admin]] ([[User talk:Admin|talk]]) available and authorized or new and evolving technologies
~ t hat are available, authorized and approved, may provide a
~ way for a deaf or hard of hearing employee to conduct postal
~ business by phone or video with other employees and cus-
~ tomers.
h. When possible, interpretating services as described in (a)
~ through (f) above should be scheduled as far in advance as
~ possible.
i.~ In the event of an emergency situation, the Postal Service
~ will s trive to communicate the nature of the emergency as
~ soon a s possible.
138
b. Special communications devices for the deaf and hard of hearing
will be installed in all postal installations employing deaf and
hard of hearing employees pursuant to the requirements con-
tained in the Management Instruction regarding Providing
Communication Accommodations to Employees and Appli-
cants Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Special communi-
cation devices or telephone volume control devices will be in-
stalled for hard of hearing employees whenever a hard of
hearing employee needs a reasonable accommodation in or-
der to communicate by phone. These devices will be available
to deaf and hard of hearing employees for official business and
in the case of personal emergencies. As appropriate, Manage-
ment will provide training to staff on the use of these special tel-
ecommunication devices.
c. A visual alarm will be installed on all moving powered industri-
al equipment powered by electric motor or internal combus-
tion engine in all postal installations employing deaf employees
or in any installation where such a reasonable accommoda-
tion is necessary for a hard of hearing employee.
d. Visual fire alarms will be installed in all new postal installations
(installations for which the U.S. Postal Service, as of the effec-
tive date of this agreement, has not awarded a contract for the
design of the building) where the Postal Service installs audible
fire alarms. The parties will discuss and seek to agree at the lo-
cal level about the installation in such other facilities as may be
appropriate.
e. The Postal Service will ensure that all Postal Service facilities
nationwide maintain an Emergency Action Plan. The plan
will address the requirements for an employee alarm system
that:
• Complies with Occupational Safety and Health Administra-
tion regulations; and
• Provides adequate notice to employees so they can take the
appropriate actions necessary to escape the workplace safe-
ly.
JOINT LABOR-MANAGEMENT MEETINGS
Discussion of problem areas with regard to the use of certified sign inter-
preters, enhancement of job opportunities for the deaf and hard of hearing,
including recruitment and hiring efforts, type of special communica-
tions devices or volume control devices to be installed, installation of
visual alarms or other systems such as tactile devices at other than new
postal installations, and the availability of new technologies which may
help deaf and hard of hearing employees perform a variety of tasks,
are appropriate matters for considerations at Joint Labor-Management
meetings. Discussion of such matters at Labor-Management meetings is
not a prerequisite to the filing or processing of a grievance.
139