5-60 Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance
General Guidelines
The Chatham Area Public Library does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its services, programs, activities or employment practices in accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended (the “ADA”) and offers alternative reasonable compliance to meet its requirements. Accordingly, the Library is committed to ensuring that Library communications with applicants, employees and members of the public with ADA disabilities are as effective as communications with others; makes reasonable accommodations in Library policies, practices and procedures when necessary to avoid discrimination on the basis of disability, unless a fundamental alteration in a library program would result; and operates its services, programs and activities so that, when viewed in their entirety, they are readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. The library provides equal access to persons with disabilities, including those individuals who use service animals.
ADA Compliance Officer
The Library Director or their designee is the Library’s ADA compliance officer, and will investigate any complaint against the Library regarding the ADA.
Implementation of this policy is the responsibility of all Library staff.
Method of Notification
A copy of this policy is posted on the library’s website and can be printed upon request. If a person with visual impairment or other disability inquiries about this policy or about the Library’s ADA services, staff will offer to read the policy and to provide appropriate ADA services.
Service Animals
The Library strives to create a welcoming, clean and comfortable environment for all members of the public. Consistent with this goal, patrons are not allowed to bring animals of any kind or size into the Library, with the exception of service animals and animals for approved Library events.
Service animals must be in control of their handler at all times and expected to behave in such a way as to not be a threat to the health and safety of others. Pursuant to ADA Rules related to Service Animals, “if a particular service animal behaves in a way that poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others, has a history of such behavior, or is not under the control of the handler, that animal may be excluded.”
Animals on Library property must be attended and restrained on a leash no longer than 6 feet at all times. No animal may be fastened to stationary objects including the Library flagpole, bike rack, benches, outdoor furnishings and trees.
Employment
The Library complies with all regulations of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment practices.
Applicants or employees with disabilities who require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a position or to perform the essential function of their job should contact the Library Director
Reasonable Accommodation
The Library is committed to ensuring that communication with individuals with disabilities is as effective as with individuals without disabilities. The Library will make reasonable modifications to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy library programs, services and activities as those without disabilities.
Additionally, in order to assist individuals with disabilities, the library provides materials in a variety of formats: conventional print, large type, DVD, CD, electronic download and streaming services. When materials are not available in all needed formats, the Library will attempt to provide equivalent or similar items for use by persons with disabilities.
Despite the library’s best efforts, not all library materials may be available in accessible formats, not all areas of the library are available to individuals with disabilities, and not every library program, service and activity can be made accessible to every individual with a disability without fundamentally altering the nature of the service, activity or program. However, the library does make every reasonable effort to provide assistance to individuals with disabilities upon request.
Customers requesting an accommodation should contact the library, by phone at 217-483-2713 or email at [email protected]. Disability and Supportive Accommodation requests can also be made not less than five (5) working days prior to the program or activity.
Auxiliary aids and services for effective communication may require additional advanced notice, based on the length of time needed to acquire the aid or service.
Denial of Accommodation
The Library may deny a request for an accommodation if the particular accommodation requested would fundamentally alter the nature of a service, program or activity of the Library. If the Library determines a requested accommodation would fundamentally alter the nature of operations, the Library will advise the requester of the decision in writing and discuss whether there is an alternative accommodation that would effectively ensure individuals with disabilities receive the benefits and services of the Library.
The Library may also deny or revoke an accommodation, and access to Library services, if the individual with a disability poses a direct threat to the health and safety of others. In determining whether an individual with a disability poses a direct health and/or safety threat, the Library will make individualized assessment, based on reasonable judgment of the best available objective evidence, to ascertain: the nature, duration and severity of the risk; the probability that the potential injury will actually occur; and whether reasonable modifications of policies, practices, or procedures or the provision of auxiliary aids or services will mitigate the risk.
The Library may impose legitimate safety requirements necessary for the safe operation of services, programs or activities as long as the requirements are based on actual risks, not on mere speculation, stereotypes or generalizations about individuals with disabilities.
Grievance Procedures
Any person who believes that the Library has discriminated against that person because of the person’s disability may file a written complaint with the Library Director. The complaint will provide information about the alleged discrimination, including the date, location, persons involved and other particulars. The complaint will include the name, address and telephone number of the person filing the claim. Upon request, the Library will provide alternate means for filing a complaint, such as a personal interview or tape or digital recording, to a person with a disability.
The Library Director will make every effort to work cooperatively with a complainant to resolve the issue forming the basis of the complaint. In the event the response of the Library Director does not satisfactorily resolve the problem, an individual may choose to file an administrative complaint with the following government agencies:
Members of the public may file an administrative complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section or with the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights.
Any or all of these methods may be pursued at the same time.
Individuals are protected from retaliation or coercion when pursuing their rights or responsibilities under the ADA.
For further information
In accordance with Section 35.106 of the ADA’s Title II Regulations, all applicants, participants, beneficiaries, and other interested persons are advised that further information may be obtained from the ADA Compliance Officer and also from the Disability Rights Section, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC 20530. Telephone: (800) 514- 0301 (Voice) or (800) 514-0383 (TDD).
LEGAL REF.: Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 12111 et seq. and 12131 et seq.; 28 C.F.R. Part 35.
ADOPTED: MARCH 20, 2000
AMENDED: JANUARY 16, 2023