Barnstable County, Massachusetts

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 Barnstable County. Barnstable 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 and/or his/her designee as soon as possible but no later than 60 calendar days after the alleged violation to:

                                                [Name and address of ADA Coordinator]

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the complaint, [name of ADA Coordinator] or [his/her] designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and the possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days of the meeting, [name of ADA Coordinator] or [his/her] 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 Barnstable County and offer options for substantive resolution of the complaint.

If the response by [name of ADA Coordinator] 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 the [City Manager/ County Commissioner/ other appropriate high-level official] or [his/her] designee.

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the appeal, the [City Manager/ County Commissioner/ other appropriate high-level official] or [his/her] designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days after the meeting, the [City Manager/ County Commissioner/ other appropriate high-level official] 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 [name of ADA Coordinator] or [his/her] designee, appeals to the [City Manager/ County Commissioner/ other appropriate high-level official] or [his/her] designee, and responses from these two offices will be retained by Barnstable County for at least three years.

September 8, 2009