FACT SHEET

On May 11, 2010, the Department of Justice entered into a settlement agreement with St. Clair County, Illinois (County), under title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).

The Department initiated a compliance review of the County as part of Project Civic Access, a Departmental initiative to ensure greater access for individuals with disabilities to state and local government programs, services, activities, and facilities.  An on-site survey of the County's buildings, programs, and services was conducted in June, 2008.  County staff worked cooperatively with the Department throughout the compliance review process in order to reach an agreement. 

Facilities surveyed by the Department and covered by the agreement include:  MidAmerica Airport Terminal, Grants Office Full Service Center, Juvenile Probation Office, Air Cargo Terminal #1, St. Ellen Park, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Maintenance Building, ARFF Building, Animal Control (Adoption), Bank Building, Grants Department Annex, Administrative Offices of the Emergency Telephone System Board, Highway Office, Government Center, County Jail, St. Clair County Regional Office of Education, WorkNet Center, St. Clair County Parking Garage, Juvenile Detention Center, St. Clair County Probation Department, Foley Park, Silver Creek Preserve, Animal Control, Community Mental Health Board, and Highway Garage.

Other County facilities are covered by the settlement agreement and will be surveyed and modified for compliance with ADA requirements by the County.

The Department also reviewed the County's polling places, emergency management procedures, employment policies, and its 9-1-1 emergency services.

The text of the Settlement Agreement specifies the modifications the County will be making to its programs, services, and facilities.  Among other things, the County has agreed to:

• Make physical modifications to facilities surveyed by the Department so that parking, routes into the buildings, entrances, service areas and counters, restrooms, public telephones, and drinking fountains are accessible to people with disabilities;
• Ensure that buildings and outdoor facilities that will be built or altered by or on behalf St. Clair County comply with the ADA's architectural requirements;
• Post, publish, and distribute a notice to inform members of the public of the provisions of title II and their applicability to St. Clair County's programs, services and activities;
• Ensure that the County's website is accessible to people with disabilities;
• Ensure that communications with applicants, participants, and members of the public with disabilities are as effective as communications with others;
• Provide information for interested persons with disabilities concerning the existence and location of St. Clair County's accessible services, activities, and facilities;
• Develop policies and procedures and perform necessary planning to ensure that individuals with disabilities are afforded equal, integrated access to emergency management programs, including emergency preparedness, notification, evacuation, sheltering, response, clean up, and recovery;  and
• Install signs at any inaccessible entrance to a facility directing individuals with disabilities to an accessible entrance or to information about accessing programs and services at other accessible facilities.

The Settlement Agreement will remain in effect for three years from May 11, 2010.  The Department will actively monitor compliance with the Agreement, which will remain in effect until the Department has confirmed that all required actions have been completed.

Project Civic Access | archive.ADA.gov Home Page