RA Portal User Manual

Using This Manual

The following formatting conventions are used in this manual to highlight important information:

• Italicized text indicates a location, for example a particular Folder, Tab, or Window.

• Bold text indicates a specific user action, such as clicking a button.

1 Introduction

1.1 About This Manual

The purpose of this manual is to provide an overview of the Reasonable Accommodations (RA) Portal. The Reasonable Accommodations Portal allows employees to submit RA Inquiries for general questions about the RA process, RA Requests, and RA Modifications to make changes to existing RA Requests.  

Portal users can manage multiple submissions of different types, save forms for review before submission, send and receive correspondence to and from the agency representatives handling their request, and provide additional documentation to support their requests as needed.

1.2 Scope

In this manual, the following topics are discussed:

• Getting Started: This section details the core features and actions within the Reasonable Accommodations Portal.  

• Using the Portal: An overview of the features you will use to submit and complete requests.

• RA Inquiry: How to submit a Reasonable Accommodations Inquiry.

• RA Request: How to submit the primary form for the application, an RA Request, using the Portal.

• RA Modification: How to request a modification to an existing Reasonable Accommodations request.

2 Getting Started

2.1 Accessing the Reasonable Accommodations Portal

You can access the RA Portal using the link provided by your system administrator. The link opens the program to the Login screen, as shown below. If you have your credentials, provide these in the Email or Username and Password fields, then click Sign in to access the Portal:

You can click Forgot my password link to reset your password, if needed.

2.2 New User Sign Up

New users can create an account to access the Portal from this page. Click the Sign Up! link and a User Registration form opens, shown below.

Getting Started

Fill out all required (A) Employee Information fields. Then, complete the (B) CAPTCHA prompt by typing the code from the image in the text field. If you prefer an audio CAPTCHA code, click Get Audio Code.  

When you’re done, click (C) Register to sign up.

2.3 Portal Home Screen

The Reasonable Accommodations Portal Home Screen is shown in the following example:

All your current and past submitted forms are included in the (A) My Forms list. Click the link in the Name column to open a specific form.

You can initiate new submissions using the (B) Submission Forms list. Unread messages received from your RA office are included in the (C) Unread Messages widget (which also links to your Portal messages). There are also (D) options to return to the Home Screen or view My Forms.  

Click the (E) Profile button to view your profile information or sign out.

3 Using the Portal

3.1 Submission Forms

You can submit new forms as needed using the Submission Forms section of the Home Screen. All available forms are listed under the Form Name column. Click a (A) Form Name link to view and submit a new form. There may be Help guides available for these forms under the (B) Help column as well. You can click the (C) View More button to view a full list of available forms.

The Submission Forms table on the Home Screen now includes a fourth submission form link. The following forms are available:

Starting a Religious Accommodation Request

To start a new Religious Accommodation Request:

1. On the Portal Home Screen, click Religious Accommodation Request in the Submission Forms list.

2. The Religious Accommodation Request form (Form 560A) opens with the toolbar displaying Save, Save & Submit, and Back buttons.

3. Complete the form fields, including Employee Information and the accommodation request questions.

4. Click Save to save the form as a draft, Save & Submit to submit the form, or Back to return to the Home Screen without saving.

After Submission

After you submit a Religious Accommodation Request form, the submitted form appears in the My Forms section on the Home Screen. The My Forms table displays the following information for each submitted form:

• Name: The form name (e.g., Religious Accommodation Request)

• Status: The current status of the form (e.g., Accepted)

• Case Number: The case number assigned to the form upon submission

• Case Status: The current status of the associated case (e.g., Not Started)

Click the form name in the My Forms table to view the submitted form in read-only mode. When viewing a submitted form, the toolbar displays Messages and Back buttons.

• Click Messages to navigate to the Messages inbox for the associated case

• Click Back to return to the Home Screen

NOTE: The Religious Accommodation Request link uses the same styling as the other submission form links. The existing RA Inquiry, RA Modification, and RA Request links are not affected by this change.

3.2 Sample RA Portal Form

An example form is shown below. Your forms may differ depending on your configuration, but the major elements you’ll encounter on a form are shown below:

A. Attachments can be added here if required at any point in the request process. You’ll have the option to select the Attachment Type from the drop-down, then click Select to locate the attachment on your local drive and add it to your form.

B. Required Fields are outlined in red and have an asterisk. These fields must be completed before the form can be submitted.

C. Check the Privacy Act Disclosure checkbox; you must check this checkbox before submitting the form.

D. The Time-Sensitive Accommodation checkbox is available on the Religious Accommodation Request form (Form 560A), located below the Privacy Act compliance statement.

• When checked and submitted, the system records the time-sensitive flag along with the reason and requested date. This alerts the RA team to prioritize the case in the review queue

• If you check the checkbox and save the form as a draft, the checked state and the values in the additional fields are preserved when you return to the draft

• After submission, the checkbox and the additional fields are visible in the read-only form view in My Forms but cannot be edited

NOTE: Checking the Time-Sensitive Accommodation checkbox does not change the other form requirements or the submission process. It serves as a priority flag for the RA team to expedite review of your request.

E. Signature fields are provided when required. Use the Click to sign form checkbox to autopopulate the Signature and Date fields when clicked.

F. In the Navigation Bar, you can click Save to save the form. This allows you to return to it and complete it later; it does not submit your form. Save & Submit saves the current form and submits it for processing. Back closes the form and returns you to the Home Screen.

You can click Save at any time to save the form as a draft without submitting it. Saving a draft:

• Does not require the signature checkbox or the Privacy Act acknowledgment checkbox to be checked and does not submit the form for processing.

The saved draft appears in the My Forms list with a status of Pending. You can return to the draft from the My Forms list at any time, edit all fields, and submit when ready.

3.3 My Forms

The (A) My Forms list is present on the Reasonable Accommodations Portal home screen, and this list displays all forms you have submitted through the Portal. This table includes the Name of the form used, the current Status of the form, the Case Number (if available), and the current Case Status.

You can click under the (B) Name column to view a specific form from your list. You can also click the (C) My Forms button in the upper left at any time to return to the Home Screen and view the My Forms list.

3.4 My Profile

You can view and edit your user profile from the Profile menu on the Home Screen. Click the (A) Profile icon in the top right corner of the Home Screen. Then, click the (B) Profile button.  

The Employee Information screen appears as shown below. This matches the information captured when you created your Portal account:

Edit the information on this screen as needed. If you make any changes here, be sure to click Update in the bottom left to save the changes.

3.5 Messages

The Portal features a dedicated Inbox where you can view and manage messages sent to and from your RA office. You can access the full list of messages from the Home Screen by clicking the Unread Messages header or open a single message by clicking the link within this widget.

3.5.1 Messages Interface

After accessing your Messages, the interface appears as shown below:

The primary section on this interface is your (A) Inbox which displays messages received from your RA Office.  

You can select an item from the Messages list, then select one of the (B) Actions available on messages.

3.5.2 Create New Message

Follow the steps below to generate a new message to your RA office from the Portal:

1. From the Home Screen, click the Unread Messages inbox link.

2. The Messages page appears. Click New.

3. The Message interface appears as shown below. First, use the Request drop-down to select the Request this message is related to. This ensures it is routed to the contact who is assigned to this request.

4. Enter a Subject in the field provided.

NOTE: Required fields are indicated by a red asterisk (*).

5. Enter the message you wish to send in the text field provided. There are several formatting options available to help tailor your message.

6. You also have the option to add Attachments. Click Select to add an attachment from your local disk.

Attachment Types for Religious Accommodation Request Messages

When you compose a New Message, View a Message, or Reply to a message for a Religious Accommodation Request case, the Messages form includes an Attachment Type dropdown above the Attachments section. This dropdown allows you to categorize each attached document by selecting a specific document sub-type before uploading.

The Attachment Type dropdown displays the following five document sub-types:

Attaching Files to a Message

To attach a file to a message for a Religious Accommodation Request case:

1. Select the Religious Accommodation Request case from the Request dropdown

2. Select the appropriate document sub-type from the Attachment Type dropdown

3. Click Select to browse and choose a file from your local drive

4. To attach additional files, repeat steps 2–3 for each file. Each attachment can have a different Attachment Type

Attachment Types on View and Reply Message

The Attachment Type dropdown is also available on the View Message and Reply Message tabs.

• When viewing a message that includes attachments, the attachment type selected at the time of upload is displayed alongside each file

• When replying to a message, you can attach new files using the same Attachment Type dropdown

7. When you are ready to send the message, click Send. The message will appear in your Sent Items list.

Accessing Messages from a Submitted Religious Accommodation Request

After you submit a Religious Accommodation Request form, you can access Messages directly from the submitted form. When you open a submitted Religious Accommodation Request from the My Forms list, the form toolbar displays Messages and Back buttons.

• Click Messages to open the Messages inbox for your Religious Accommodation Request case.

• Click Back to return to the Home Screen

This follows the same pattern as other submitted forms (e.g., RA Inquiry), where Messages is accessible from the form toolbar.

Religious RA Cases in the Request Dropdown

When you compose a new message by clicking New in the Messages toolbar, the Request dropdown includes your Religious Accommodation Request case numbers alongside any other active RA case numbers you have.

• Religious RA case numbers (e.g., 2026-RRA-00001) appear in the dropdown alongside standard RA Request, RA Inquiry, and RA Modification case numbers.

• Only submitted cases with assigned case numbers are listed. Draft cases (not yet submitted, no case number) do not appear.

• The Request dropdown only displays case numbers belonging to you. Other users' case numbers are not visible.

Select your Religious Accommodation Request case from the Request dropdown, then complete the Subject, Message, and optional Attachments fields as described in the existing steps above. For information about the Religious RA Attachment Type dropdown and the five document sub-types available when attaching files to a Religious RA message, see the Attachment Types for Religious Accommodation Request Messages section.

Receiving Messages for Religious RA Cases

When the RA team sends a reply for your Religious Accommodation Request case, the message appears in your Messages Inbox. The inbox table displays the message with the correct Subject, Date, Form, and Case # columns. Unread messages are included in the Unread Messages count on the Home Screen.

You can use the same toolbar actions for Religious RA messages as for any other messages: View, Delete, Mark as Read, Mark as Unread, Sent Items, and Deleted Items.

NOTE: Sent messages for Religious RA cases appear in the Sent Items list, and deleted messages appear in the Deleted Items list, following the same behavior as other RA message types.

3.6 Attachments

While making a request, you may be required to provide additional documentation related to your request. This documentation can be added via the Attachments interface on the Portal form in question.

At the top of the Portal Forms screen, note the Attachment Details section. Any (A) existing attachments are included at the bottom of this section.

You also have the option to add new attachments. Each new attachment should be associated with an Attachment Type. Use the (B) Attachment Type drop-down to select the type of attachment you are adding. Next, use the (C) Select button to navigate to your local drive and select a file to upload.

After adding an attachment, but before it is submitted, you can click the X to delete an attachment if needed:

4 RA Inquiries

A Reasonable Accommodations Inquiry allows you to gather information about possible accommodations without making a formal request. The following sections provide steps to create and submit an inquiry from the Portal.

4.1 Create a Reasonable Accommodations Inquiry

Follow the steps below to create a new Reason Accommodations Inquiry from the Portal.

1. From the Portal Home Screen, click the Inquiry link within the Submissions Forms list.

2. The Reasonable Accommodations Inquiry form appears as shown in the sample below. Most of the fields on this form are populated with information from your User Profile. You can edit these fields as needed.

3. Use the Inquiry Details field to provide a detailed description of your inquiry. You can also use the Handle (highlighted below) to enlarge the field if needed:

4. You can click Save to save your progress on this form and return later. The form will appear in your My Forms list, with the status of Not Submitted as shown below.

Alternatively, you can click Save & Submit to submit to inquiry. See the following section for steps.

4.2 Submit RA Inquiry

Follow the steps below to submit an RA Inquiry:

1. Access the Inquiry form that is ready for submission from your My Forms list.

2. Click Save & Submit to submit the form.

3. A pop-up message appears from the portal. Read this message, then click OK to continue.

4. After submission, your My Forms list refreshes with the form status updated to Submitted:

5. The form is now submitted to your RA office. Monitor your inbox for responses and additional required actions to complete the process.  

5 RA Request Form  

The RA Request Form is the official form used to request Reasonable Accommodations (including concessions, equipment, or services which allow employees to better complete their work tasks). This form initiates a formal process where your request is reviewed and either approved, approved with modifications, or rejected. You may be required to provide medical documentation as a part of this request process, and you will also have the option to request reconsideration if your request is not approved. This process is initiated when you create and submit the form from the Portal, as detailed in the following sections.

5.1 Create a New Form

Follow the steps below to create a new RA Request:

1. From the Home Screen, click the RA Request link under the Submissions Forms list.

2. The Confirmation of Request for Reasonable Accommodations form appears as shown in the sample below.

NOTE: Most of the fields in this case form are populated with information from your User Profile. You can edit these fields as needed. The fields you see might differ from the fields shown below.

3. Use the Reasonable Accommodation Request lookup to select the specific request you are making. The Select Item screen appears, as shown below:

4. Select the (A) Request you would like to make. You can also type in the (B) Filter By Name field to locate a specific selection. After selecting, click (C) OK.

5. The form refreshes and the selected Reasonable Accommodation Request item is added to the field. Next, enter a Reason for Request in the field provided.

6. Click the Click to sign form checkbox to digitally sign the form. The Signature and Date fields populate automatically.

7. You can click Save to save your progress on this form and return later. The form will appear in your My Forms list, with the status of Not Submitted as shown below. Alternatively, you can click Save & Submit to submit to Confirmation. See the following section for steps.

5.2 Submit RA Request Form  

Follow the steps below to submit an RA Request form:

1. Access the Confirmation of Request for Reasonable Accommodations form that is ready for submission from your My Forms list.

2. Click Save & Submit to submit the form.

3. A pop-up message appears from the Portal. Read this message, then click OK to continue.

4. After submission, your My Forms list refreshes and the form status is updated to Submitted.

5. The form is now submitted to your RA office. Keep an eye on your inbox for responses and additional required actions to complete the process. You may be required to supply additional documentation to support your request. If you need to submit documentation, see the Attachments section for details.

6 RA Modification Form

If you need to make a modification to a current Reasonable Accommodation, you can do so using the RA Modification form. This form must be linked to an existing RA Request submission. You can modify both in-progress and closed forms. The sections below provide steps to create and submit an RA Modification using the Portal.

6.1 Create a New RA Modification

To create a new RA Modification, follow the steps below:

1. From the Portal Home Screen, click the RA Modification link under the Submissions Forms list.

2. The Confirmation of Request for Reasonable Accommodations form appears as shown in the sample below. Most of the fields on this form are populated with information from your User Profile. You can edit these fields as needed. Select the RA File Case to Modify from the drop-down list.

NOTE: The fields in your environment might differ from the fields shown in the sample below.

3. Select the Reasonable Modification Requested from the drop-down list.  

4. Click the Reasonable Accommodation Request Lookup to select the specific request you are making. The Select Item screen appears as shown below:

5. Select the checkbox adjacent the Accommodation you would like to request. You can also type in the Filter By Name field to locate a specific selection.  

6. Click OK. The form refreshes and the selected Reasonable Accommodation Request item is added to the field.  

7. Enter a Reason for Request in the field.

8. Click the Click to sign form checkbox to digitally sign the form. The Signature and Date fields populate automatically.

9. You can click Save to save your progress on this form and return later. The form will appear in your My Forms list, with the status of Not Submitted. Alternatively, you can click Save & Submit to submit to Confirmation. See the following section for steps.

6.2 Submit RA Modification Form

Follow the steps below to submit an RA Modification:

1. Access the Confirmation of Request for Reasonable Accommodations form that is ready for submission from your My Forms list.

2. Ensure that all required fields are complete, and then click Save & Submit to submit the form.

3. A confirmation message appears from the Portal. Review this message, then click OK to close the pop-up window.

4. After submission, your My Forms list refreshes and the form status is updated to Submitted.

5. The form is now submitted to your RA office. Keep an eye on your inbox for responses and additional required actions to complete the process. You may be required to supply additional documentation to support your request. If you need to submit documentation, see the Attachments section for details.