Civil Rights

Civil Rights

We are committed to fulfilling our obligations under federal and state civil rights laws and equal employment requirements. This includes supporting our contractors, consultants and sub-recipients in achieving full compliance with these laws and requirements.

We strive to be a model agency with respect to:

  • Promoting diversity and equal employment opportunities within our workforce
  • Developing opportunities for meaningful participation of minority and women-owned business enterprises
  • Delivering services, programs and activities in a nondiscriminatory manner

Major Program Areas

ADA

In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Acts of 1973, and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation ("RIDOT") will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities.

While Section 504 applies only to the federal government and recipients of federal funds, Title II of the ADA applies to all state and local governments, regardless of funding source.

The ADA provides comprehensive civil rights protections to any qualified person with a disability; it forbids discrimination not only in government programs, benefits and services, but also in employment practices, access to public accommodations, and telecommunications. The primary objective of our ADA program is to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services, and activities. If you have questions, please contact our ADA Coordinator at 401-563-4056.

Explore the following links to learn more:

Equal Employment Opportunity

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, and forbids retaliatory actions taken against individuals who report discrimination or participate in the investigation of alleged discrimination. RIDOT complies with Title VII and other federal and state mandates and adheres to equal employment opportunity (EEO) principles for all persons, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, or national origin.

In order to create a more effective and representative internal workforce, we encourage the hiring, training, and promotion of persons within protected classes to reflect more accurately the available workforce in our state.

On-the-Job-Training

The Federal Highway Administration's On-the-Job Training Program requires us to establish apprenticeship and training programs targeted for women, minorities, and disadvantaged individuals. While developing a competent workforce available to meet highway construction hiring needs, our goal is to address the historical under-representation of these groups in highway construction skilled crafts.

Our primary objective is to increase the overall effectiveness of our program in connection with Federal-aid highway construction projects.

Title VI/Environmental Justice

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the federal law that prohibits discrimination in any federally-assisted program or activity. Title VI and several other anti-discrimination directives are the foundation of our Title VI Program.

As a recipient of federal funds, we take our nondiscrimination obligations seriously. We pledge that we will not, on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, or income status, either directly or by contract:

  • Deny any service, aid, or other benefits;
  • Provide a service, aid, or benefit that is different than what is provided to others; or
  • Segregate individuals or treat individuals separately in any matter related to any service, aid or other benefits.

Explore the links below to learn more about our Title VI Program:

DBE

The United States Department of Transportation has established a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program, which is designed to remedy ongoing discrimination and the continuing effects of past discrimination in federally-assisted highway, transit, airport, and highway safety financial assistance transportation contracting markets nationwide. The primary remedial goal and objective of the DBE program is to level the playing field by providing small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals a fair opportunity to compete for federally-funded transportation contracts. USDOT DBE regulations (49 CFR Part 26) require state and local transportation agencies that receive DOT financial assistance to establish goals for the participation of DBEs. Each DOT-assisted State and local transportation agency is required to establish and review annual DBE goals and to establish contract-specific DBE subcontracting goals.

The main objectives of the DBE Program are:

  • To ensure that small disadvantaged business enterprises (DBE) can compete fairly for federally-funded transportation-related projects.
  • To ensure that only eligible firms participate as DBEs.
  • To assist DBE firms in competing outside the DBE Program

Instructions for completing a fillable PDF form

  • Right click on the form and click “Save as.”
  • Save to a location on your computer, such as your Desktop or Documents folders.
  • Once you have saved the form to your computer, you are ready to complete the form.
  • Open the fillable form.
  • After you have completed the form, save a final version of the file to your computer.
  • Some forms have a “Submit” button built into the form that will allow you to submit the form via email directly from the form. These forms will automatically be attached to your email when you click the submit button.

ADA Transition Plan

Civil Rights Complaint Process

Quick Links

Workforce Development