Accessibility

Notice Under the American with Disabilities Act

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In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"), Douglas County will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities.

Employment

Douglas County 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

Douglas County will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities so they can participate equally in Douglas County's programs, services, and activities, including qualified sign language interpreters, and ways of making information and communications accessible to people who have speech, hearing, or vision impairments.

Modifications to Policies and Procedures

Douglas County 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. For example, individuals with service animals are welcomed in Douglas County offices, even where pets are generally prohibited.

Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a program, service or activity of Douglas County, should contact the office of the ADA Coordinator as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event.
The ADA does not require Douglas County to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or services, or impose an undue financial or administrative burden.
Douglas County will not place a surcharge on a particular individual or any group of individuals with disabilities to cover the cost of providing auxiliary aids/services or reasonable modifications of policy, such as retrieving items from locations that are open to the public but are not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs.

Complaints

Complaints that a program, service, or activity of Douglas County is not accessible to persons with disabilities should be directed to the ADA Coordinator.

The ADA Coordinator for Douglas County is the Prosecuting Attorney, who can be contacted at:
Douglas County Courthouse
P.O. Box 360
Waterville, WA 98858-0360
Phone: 509-745-8535

Grievance Procedure Under the Americans with Disabilities Act

This Grievance Procedure is established to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"). It may be used by anyone who wishes to file a complaint alleging discrimination on the basis of disability in the provision of services, activities, programs, or benefits by the Douglas County. Douglas County's Personnel Policies and collective bargaining agreements govern employment-related complaints of disability discrimination.

The complaint should be in writing and contain information about the alleged discrimination, such as the name, address, and telephone number of the complainant and the location, date, and description of the problem. Alternative means of filing complaints, such as personal interviews or by tape recording of the complaint, are available for persons with disabilities upon request.

The complaint should be submitted by the complainant and/or his/her designee as soon as possible, but no later than 60 calendar days after the alleged violation, to:
Prosecuting Attorney
Douglas County Courthouse
P.O. Box 360
Waterville, WA 98858-0360
Phone: 509-745-8535

Steps After Submission

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the complaint, the Prosecuting Attorney or his designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days after the meeting, the Prosecuting Attorney or his designee will respond in writing to the complaint and, when appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, such as large print or audio tape. The response will explain the position of Douglas County and offer options for substantive resolution of the complaint.

Appeals

If the response by the Prosecuting Attorney or his designee does not satisfactorily resolve the complaint, the complainant and/or his/her designee may appeal the decision within 15 calendar days after receipt of the response to:
Chair of the Board of County Commissioners
Douglas County Courthouse
P.O. Box 747
Waterville, WA 98858
Phone: 509-745-8537

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the appeal, the Chair of the Board will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days after the meeting, the Chair of the Board will respond in writing and, where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, with a final resolution of the complaint.

Document Retention

All written complaints received by the Prosecuting Attorney, appeals to the Chair of the Board, and responses from these two offices will be retained by Douglas County for at least three years.