Disabilities Act Notice & Grievance Procedure

Disabilities Act Notice

Notice Under the Americans with Disabilities Act

In accordance with the requirements of title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”), Abilene Regional Airport, operating under the Department of Transportation Services for the City of Abilene will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities.

Employment

The City of Abilene 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

The City of Abilene will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities so they can participate equally in the City of Abilene’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 & Procedures

The City of Abilene 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 the City of Abilene’s 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 the City of Abilene, should contact the Human Resources Office at City Hall, 555 Walnut Street, Room 101, 325-676-6200 as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event.   ***Immediate Airport Contact for Reasonable Accommodation***

The ADA does not require the City of Abilene to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or services, or impose an undue financial or administrative burden.

Filing a Complaint

Complaints that a program, service, or activity of the City of Abilene is not accessible to persons with disabilities should be directed to:
Human Resources Office
City Hall
555 Walnut Street, Room 101
Phone: 325-676-6200

Complaints relating to Abilene Regional Airport should be directed to the designated ADA Representative (ADA/Section 504 Coordinator);

Alex Cargile
Management Analyst, ADA/Section 504 Coordinator
Abilene Regional Airport
2933 Airport Blvd, Suite 200
Abilene, TX 79602
Phone: 325-676-6224

The City of Abilene 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.

City of Abilene 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 Abilene Regional Airport, operating under the Department of Transportation Services for the City of Abilene. The City’s Personnel Policy governs employment-related complaints of disability discrimination.

Submitting a Complaint

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 and/or his/her designee as soon as possible but no later than 60 calendar days after the alleged violation to:
Human Resources
City Hall
555 Walnut Street, Room 101
Phone: 325-676-6200

Complaints relating to Abilene Regional Airport should be directed to the designated ADA Representative (ADA/Section 504 Coordinator);

Alex Cargile
Management Analyst, ADA/Section 504 Coordinator
Abilene Regional Airport
2933 Airport Blvd, Suite 200
Abilene, TX 79602
Phone: 325-676-6224

Response to a Complaint

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the complaint, the Human Resources Director, ADA/Section 504 Coordinator or designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and the possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days of the meeting, our office will respond in writing, and where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, such as large print, Braille, or audio tape. The response will explain the position of the City of Abilene and offer options for substantive resolution of the complaint.

If the response by the Human Resources Director, ADA/Section 504 Coordinator or 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 City Manager or his designee.

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

Record Keeping

All written complaints received by the Human Resources Director or designee, appeals to the City Manager or his designee, and responses from these two offices will be retained by the City of Abilene for at least three years.

All written complaints received by the Abilene Regional Airport ADA/Section 504 Coordinator or designee, appeals to the City Manager or his designee, and responses from these two offices will be retained by the City of Abilene for at least five years.

It is policy that Abilene Regional Airport performs self-assessments to determine if facilities, services, policies, and practices are accessible to people with disabilities.

Applicable Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) available at: www.ecfr.gov.

  • 28 CFR Part 35: Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in State and Local Government Services (Americans with Disabilities Act – Title II)
  • 49 CFR Part 27: Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act)
  • 49 CFR Part 21: Nondiscrimination in Federally-Assisted Programs of Department of Transportation
  • 14 CFR Part 382: Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel (Air Carrier Access Act)
  • 49 CFR Part 37: Transportation Services for Individuals with Disabilities (Americans with Disabilities Act Title II and Title III)
  • ** ADAAS: 28 CFR Part 36 requirements for Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities (1991 and 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design)