Website Policies and Important Links

If you are looking for Railroad Industry & Railroad Union web sites & other external links please go here.

Our website adheres to the following policies and practices required by laws and regulations:

External Linking Policy

We link to external websites in order to provide additional information that may be useful or interesting and is consistent with the intended purpose of the RRB website. Therefore, we link to websites of:

U.S. government agencies,
Railroads and related industries covered under the RRA and RUIA
National rail associations, brotherhoods and unions
3rd party partners
Genealogical sources of railroad information
Corporate sites that provide software that will help you view our documents
Sources to provide you with information we do not duplicate on our website

We notify you when you are leaving the RRB.gov domain for a non-government web domain, and disclaim responsibility for the content, accessibility, and privacy policies used by non-federal government websites.

As web pages are updated, links are checked for functionality. Periodic reviews are conducted on all external links.

Our commitment to Section 508 Compliance

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended in 1998, is a Federal law that requires agencies to provide individuals with disabilities equal access to electronic information and data comparable to those who do not have disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency. The Section 508 standards are the technical requirements and criteria that are used to measure conformance within this law. More information on Section 508 and the technical standards can be found at www.section508.gov.

The RRB is committed to making its electronic and information technologies accessible to individuals with disabilities by meeting or exceeding the requirements of Section 508. Our comprehensive approach to Section 508 compliance ensures people with disabilities have access which is comparable to those who do not have disabilities, and our commitment to accessibility includes content and online services provided through this website.

If you have feedback, questions, or concerns related to the accessibility of any content on this website, please contact us. Please include the web address or URL and a description of the specific problems you have encountered.

The Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) of 1968

The ABA requires access to facilities designed, built, altered, or leased with Federal funds. Passed by Congress in 1968, it marks one of the first efforts to ensure access to the built environment. The Access Board develops and maintains accessibility guidelines under this law. These guidelines serve as the basis for the standards used to enforce the law, the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS). Four Federal agencies are responsible for the standards: the Department of Defense, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the General Services Administration (for USDA and DOI), and the U.S. Postal Service.

Federal agencies are responsible for ensuring compliance with UFAS when funding the design, construction, alteration, or leasing of facilities. Some departments have, as a matter of policy, also required compliance with the ADA Accessibility Guidelines (which otherwise do not apply to the Federal sector) in addition to UFAS. The Board was created to enforce the ABA, which it does through the investigation of complaints. (The Board was established under section 502 of the Rehabilitation Act). Anyone concerned about the accessibility of a facility that may have received Federal funds can easily file a complaint with the Board. The Enforcement section of the Access Board’s website at www.access-board.gov provides for further information on the filing of ABA complaints.

Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, as amended
42 U.S.C. §§ 4151 et seq.

§ 4151. "Building" defined
As used in this chapter, the term "building" means any building or facility (other than (A) a privately owned residential structure not leased by the Government for subsidized housing programs and (B) any building or facility on a military installation designed and constructed primarily for use by able bodied military personnel) the intended use for which either will require that such building or facility be accessible to the public, or may result in the employment or residence therein of persons with disabilities, which building or facility is--

to be constructed or altered by or on behalf of the United States;
to be leased in whole or in part by the United States after August 12, 1968;¹
to be financed in whole or in part by a grant or a loan made by the United States after August 12, 1968, if such building or facility is subject to standards for design, construction, or alteration issued under authority of the law authorizing such grant or loan;
or to be constructed under authority of the National Capital Transportation Act of 1960, the National Capital Transportation Act of 1965, or title III of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Regulation Compact.

§ 4152. Standards for design, construction, and alteration of buildings; Administrator of General Services
The Administrator of General Services, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall prescribe standards for the design, construction, and alteration of buildings (other than residential structures subject to this chapter and buildings, structures, and facilities of the Department of Defense and of the United States Postal Service subject to this chapter) to insure whenever possible that physically handicapped persons will have ready access to, and use of, such buildings.

§ 4153. Standards for design, construction, and alteration of buildings; Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall prescribe standards for the design, construction, and alteration of buildings which are residential structures subject to this chapter to insure whenever possible that physically handicapped persons will have ready access to, and use of, such buildings.

§ 4154. Standards for design, construction, and alteration of buildings; Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall prescribe standards for the design, construction, and alteration of buildings, structures, and facilities of the Department of Defense subject to this chapter to insure whenever possible that physically handicapped persons will have ready access to, and use of, such buildings.

§ 4154a. Standards for design, construction, and alteration of buildings; United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall prescribe such standards for the design, construction, and alteration of its buildings to insure whenever possible that physically handicapped persons will have ready access to, and use of, such buildings.

§ 4155. Effective date of standards
Every building designed, constructed, or altered after the effective date of a standard issued under this chapter which is applicable to such building, shall be designed, constructed, or altered in accordance with such standard.

§ 4156. Waiver and modification of standards
The Administrator of General Services, with respect to standards issued under section 4152 of this title, and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, with respect to standards issued under section 4153 of this title, and the Secretary of Defense with respect to standards issued under section 4154 of this title, and the United States Postal Service with respect to standards issued under section 4154a of this title --

is authorized to modify or waive any such standard, on a case-by-case basis, upon application made by the head of the department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States concerned, and upon a determination by the Administrator or Secretary, as the case may be, that such modification or waiver is clearly necessary, and
shall establish a system of continuing surveys and investigations to insure compliance with such standards.

§ 4157. Reports to Congress and Congressional committees
(a) The Administrator of General Services shall report to Congress during the first week of January of each year on his activities and those of other departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the Federal Government under this chapter during the preceding fiscal year including, but not limited to, standards issued, revised, amended, or repealed under this chapter and all case-by-case modifications, and waivers of such standards during such year.

(b) The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board established by section 792 of Title 29 shall report to Public Works and Transportation Committee of the House of Representatives and the Environment and Public Works Committee of the Senate during the first week of January of each year on its activities and actions to insure compliance with the standards prescribed under this chapter.

¹A 1976 amendment deleted the following words from the end of paragraph (2): "after construction or alteration in accordance with plans and specifications of the United States." That amendment applied to "every lease entered into on or after January 1, 1977, including any renewal of a lease entered into before such a date which renewal is on or after such date." (Pub. L. 94-541)

Digital Rights Policy

In general, RRB.gov content (which includes text, documents, graphics and audio files) is not copyrighted or trademarked.
You may use RRB.gov content for educational or informational purposes, if you acknowledge RRB.gov as its source.
When RRB.gov content contains a Copyright or Trademark Notice, it is your responsibility to identify the copyright or trademark owner and to obtain permission before making use of this material.
RRB.gov content may not be used to state or imply an endorsement by RRB or by any RRB employee of a commercial product, service or activity, or used in any other misleading manner.

Please contact us if you need further information or assistance.

Office of General Counsel
U.S. Railroad Retirement Board
844 N. Rush St.
Chicago, Illinois 60611

Email: law@rrb.gov

Security Protocols to Protect Information

This website is part of a Federal computer system used to accomplish Federal functions. Computer software programs as well as other surveillance methods are used to monitor network traffic on this Web site for security purposes. By accessing this website, you are expressly consenting to these monitoring activities.

Unauthorized attempts to defeat or circumvent security features; to use the system for other than intended purposes; to deny service to authorized users; to access, obtain, alter, damage, or destroy information; or to otherwise to interfere with the system or its operation are strictly prohibited. Evidence of such acts may be disclosed to law enforcement authorities and may result in criminal prosecution under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act of 1996, as codified at Section 1030 of Title 18 of the United States Code, or other applicable laws.

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