10 North 2nd Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 255-3040
ADA Accessibility
ADA Compliance Program
About Us
The City of Harrisburg complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Public Law 101-336, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. Individuals who would like to provide input are invited to call or email the ADA Coordinator.Your comments and opinions are important to us and will provide valuable information regarding how the City of Harrisburg can better serve individuals with disabilities.
Please contact Nelva V. Wright, ADA Coordinator, if you have questions or comments. She can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 717-255-6563.
The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. The ADA gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications.
The ADA is divided into five titles (or sections) that relate to different areas of public life. In 2008, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) was signed into law and became effective on January 1, 2009. The ADAAA made a number of significant changes to the definition of “disability.” The changes in the definition of disability in the ADAAA apply to all titles of the ADA, including Title I (employment practices of private employers with 15 or more employees, state and local governments, employment agencies, labor unions, agents of the employer and joint management-labor committees); Title II (programs and activities of state and local government entities); and Title III (private entities that are considered places of public accommodation).
5 Titles of the ADA
- Title I: Equal Employment Opportunity for individuals with disabilities This title is designed to remove barriers that would deny qualified individuals with disabilities access to the same employment opportunities and benefits available to others without disabilities. Employers must reasonably accommodate the disabilities of qualified applicants or employees unless an undue hardship would result.
- Title II: Nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in State and Local Government Services This title prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public entities. The public entity is required to provide access to programs, services, and activities provided by the state or local government when viewed in their entirety.
- Title III: Nondiscrimination on the basis of disability by Public Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities This title prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by private entities in places of public accommodation. Examples include hotels, restaurants, golf courses, private schools, day care centers, health clubs, etc.
- Title IV: Telecommunications This title requires telephone companies to have developed interstate and intrastate telephone relay services in every state
- Title V: Miscellaneous Provisions The final title contains a variety of provisions relating to the ADA as a whole, including its relationship to other laws and its impact on insurance providers and benefits.
The Complaint and Grievance Procedure is established to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It may be used by anyone who wishes to file a complaint or grievance alleging discrimination on the basis of disability in the provision of services, activities, programs, or benefits by the City of Harrisburg.
The City of Harrisburg’s Personnel Policy governs employment-related complaints of disability discrimination. The City of Harrisburg wants to hear concerns and complaints from citizens in order to provide accessible programs, services, and activities. A citizen can call with a comment, concern or complaint without filing a formal grievance.
A formal grievance can be filed by completing the grievance and complaint form by contacting the ADA Coordinator, Nelva V. Wright or the designated alternative person. If the citizen wants to file a formal grievance, grievance procedures and forms are provided. It is preferred that the grievance is in writing and contain information about the alleged discrimination such as name, address and contact information of the grievant. A description of the problem that includes location and date is requested. 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. If additional accommodations are needed, please contact the ADA Coordinator.
- Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the complaint, Nelva V. Wright or his/her designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and the possible resolutions.
- Within 15 calendar days of the meeting Nelva V. Wright or his/her designee 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 Harrisburg and offer options for substantive resolution of the complaint.
- If the response by Nelva V. Wright or his/her 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 Health Officer/Nelva V. Wright or his/her designee.
- Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the appeal, Health Officer/Nelva V. Wright or his/her designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and possible resolutions.
- Within 15 calendar days after the meeting, the Health Officer/Nelva V. Wright or his/her 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 Nelva V. Wright or his/her designee, appeals to the Health Officer/Nelva V. Wright or his/her designee, and responses from these two offices will be retained by the City of Harrisburg for at least three years. A copy of the City of Harrisburg’s ADA/504 Self-evaluation and Transition Plan is available from the ADA Coordinator.
In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”), the City of Harrisburg will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities.
Employment: The City of Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg’s programs, services, and activities.
Modifications to Policies and Procedures: The City of Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg, should contact the office of the program, service or activity coordinator as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event.
The ADA does not require the City of Harrisburg 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 program, service, or activity of the City of Harrisburg is not accessible to persons with disabilities should be directed to ADA Coordinator. The City of Harrisburg 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. This notice is available in alternate formats from the ADA Coordinator.