ADA/Title VI

Johnson County Notice of Nondiscrimination

  • ADA Background

The Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) was enacted on July 26, 1990 by President George H.W. Bush, and updated on September 14, 2010 by President Barack Obama. The ADA provides comprehensive civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities in the areas of employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, and telecommunications. 

The Title II regulations are similar and based on the earlier Rehabilitation Act of 1973 enacted by President Richard Nixon. Section 504 of the Act, codified at 29 U.S.C. § 794, as amended prohibits discrimination based on disability in federally assisted programs and activities stating:

“No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States . . . shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program, service or activity receiving federal financial assistance or under any program or activity conducted by any Executive agency or by the United States Postal Service.”

To assist with the ongoing process of ensuring ADA compliance, Johnson County developed the following 2023 Transition Plan that updated and incorporated the previous Transition Plan.

  • ADA Transition Plan

The 1991 ADA regulations required all public entities, regardless of size, to evaluate their services, policies, practices, and facilities to determine whether the entity’s programs, when viewed in their entirety, were accessible to persons with disabilities.  In addition, public entities with 50 or more employees were required to develop a transition plan detailing any structural changes that would be undertaken to achieve program access and specifying a time frame for their completion.  Johnson County invites interested individuals to participate in the self-evaluation and transition planning processes by submitting comments. Johnson County continues to evaluate its services, programs, activities, and facilities, as documented in this Transition Plan.

The ADA regulations under 28 CFR 35.107 (a) require any public entity with fifty or more employees to designate at least one employee to coordinate ADA compliance. Federal regulations require public entities to make available to interested persons the name, office address and telephone number of the ADA Coordinator. The ADA Coordinator’s role is to plan, coordinate, organize, facilitate, and promote compliance efforts. The Coordinator responds to requests for accommodations or barrier removal. The Coordinator also receives and investigates complaints and grievances. The Johnson County Commissioners appointed the County Coordinator, Barbara Davis, as the ADA Coordinator effective December 19, 2011, by consensus of the County Commissioners at a regular meeting. Activities related to ADA compliance should be directed to the Coordinator, and each County department should designate a liaison for ADA issues and publicize the identity of this person.

  • Auxiliary Aids and Services

Communicating successfully is an essential part of providing service to the public.  Johnson County attempts to make its written and spoken communications as clear and understandable to people with disabilities as it does for those without disabilities. Johnson County has taken steps necessary to communicate effectively with people who have disabilities, by making auxiliary aids such as readers, sign language interpreters, assistive listening systems and devices, open and closed captioning, text telephones (TTYs), video conferences, website information, information provided in large print, Braille, Audible or electronic formats, and other tools available upon request for people who have communication disabilities.

 

Title VI Overview

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related non-discrimination statutes require that recipients of federal financial assistance ensure that no one is excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin in any federally-assisted program and activity. The intent of the law is to ensure that all persons, regardless of their race, color or national origin, are allowed to participate in these federally funded programs.

Prohibited practices include but are not limited to: Denying a person any service, financial aid, or other benefits because of race, color, or national origin. Providing a different service or benefit, or providing these in a different manner from those provided to others in the program. Requiring different standards or conditions as prerequisites for serving individuals. Locating facilities in any way that would limit or impede access to a federally funded service or benefit. Failing to make allowances for language or educational difficulties.

Title VI Plan

Johnson County is committed to providing equal opportunity in all programs and services to ensure compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. To ensure that Johnson County meets its compliance responsibility, procedures have been established to provide for comprehensive monitoring of Title VI compliance activities and complaint processing in all operations and programs, directly or indirectly responsible to Johnson County, all of which receive federal or state funding in whole or in part.

The Title VI Coordinator of Johnson County is responsible for the overall administration, coordination, operation and implementation of the Title VI program in all County agencies and with its sub-recipients. Any person(s) or organization(s) believing they have been a victim of discrimination based on race, color, or national origin may file a complaint with the agency in question, or with the Johnson County Title VI Coordinator.