Grievance Act
NOTICE UNDER THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
In accordance with the requirements of title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Will County (County) will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in the County’s services, programs, or activities.
Employment: The 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 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Effective Communication: The County will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective conm-iunication for qualified persons with disabilities so they can participate equally in the County’s programs, services, and activities, including qualified sign language interpreters, documents in Braille, and other ways of making information and communications accessible to people who have speech, hearing, or vision impairments.
Modifications to Policies and Procedures: The County will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all County programs, services, and activities. For example, individuals with service animals are welcomed in 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 County program, service, or activity, should contact the office of Bruce Tidwell, ADA Coordinator, as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event.
The ADA does not require the County to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or services, or impose an undue financial or administrative burden.
Complaints that a County program, service, or activity is not accessible to persons with disabilities should be directed to Bruce Tidwell, ADA Coordinator, Human Resources Department, 302 N. Chicago Street, Joliet, IL 60432; Btidwell(äwillcountviIlinois.com (815) 740-4634.
The County will not place a surcharge on a particular individual with a disability 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.
Attachment A to Settlement Agreement between the United States of America and Will County, Illinois, DJ# 204-
23-220
Will County, Illinois
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. 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 County. The County’s Personnel Policy governs employment-related complaints of disability discrimination.
The complaint should be in writing and contain information about the alleged discrimination such as name, address, phone number of complainant and location, date, and description of the problem. Alternative means of filing complaints, such as personal interviews or a tape recording of the complaint, will be made available for persons with disabilities upon request. The complaint should be submitted by the grievant andlor his/her designee as soon as possible but no later than 60 calendar days after the alleged violation to:
Bruce Tidwell, ADA Coordinator, Human Resources Department, 302 N. Chicago Street, Joliet, IL 60432; btidwell@willcountyillinois.com Phone: (815) 740-4634.
Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the complaint, Bruce Tidwell or his designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and the possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days of the meeting, Bruce Tidwell or his designee will respond in writing, and where appropriate, in format accessible to the complainant, such as large print, Braille, or audio tape. The response will explain the position of the County and offer options for substantive resolution of the complaint.
If the response by Bruce Tidwell or his designee does not satisfactorily resolve the issue, the complainant and/or his/her designee may appeal the decision within 15 calendar days after receipt of the response to the County Executive, Lawrence M. Walsh, or his designee.
Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the appeal, the County Executive or his designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days after the meeting, the County Executive or his designee will respond in writing, and, where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, with a final resolution of the complaint.
All written complaints received by Bruce Tidwell or his designee, appeals to the County Executive or his designee, and responses from these two offices will be retained by the County for at least three years.
Attachment B to Settlement Agreement between the United States of America and Will County, Illinois,
DJ# 204-23-220
7046