18 - Laserfiche WebLink

BACKGROUND The ADA, enacted on July 26, 1990, is divided into five parts, covering the following areas: Title (Employment- Requires that employers, including governmental agencies, must ensure that their practices do not discriminate against persons with disabilities in the application, hiring, advancement, training, compensation or discharge of an employee, or in other terms, conditions and rights of employment. Title II Public Services- Prohibits state and local governments from discriminating against persons with disabilities or from excluding participation in or denying benefits of programs, services or activities to persons with disabilities. It is under this Title that his ADA Transition Plan has been prepared. The ADA Transition Plan is intended to outline the methods by which physical or structural changes will be made to effect the non-discrimination policies described in Title II. Title III Public Accommodations- Requires places of public accommodation to be accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities. The term public accommodation as used in the definition often is misinterpreted as applying to public agencies, but the intent of the term is to refer to any privately funded and operated facility serving the public. Title IV Telecommunications- Covers regulations regarding private telephone companies, and requires common carriers offering telephone services to the public to increase the availability of interstate and intrastate telecommunications relay services to individuals with hearing and speech impairments. Title V Miscellaneous Provisions- Contains several miscellaneous regulations, including construction standards and practices, provisions for attorney's fees and technical assistance provisions. As part of Title II, which pertains to public agencies with 50 or more employees, are required to prepare an ADA Transition Plan establishing a program for barrier removal. This process includes conducting aSelf-Evaluation Survey of its programs, services and activities to ensure they are accessible to persons with disabilities. A primary focus of this requirement is an evaluation of City facilities. The City completed its Self-Evaluation Survey of City facilities in 2003 and its Transition Plan in 2004. While the Transition Plan has guided decisions regarding removal of physical barriers, it was not formally adopted by the City Council. As a result earlier this year, staff revised the Transition Plan to assure compliance with current requirements and is now recommending its adoption. Page 2 of 5