Accessibility

Notice of Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), the City of Saratoga will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities.

Employment

The City does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment practices and complies with all of the regulations promulgated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under Title I of the ADA.

Effective Communication

The City will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities so they can participate equally in City’s programs, services, and activities, including qualified sign language interpreters, documents in Braille, and other ways of making information and communications accessible to people who have speech, hearing, or vision impairments.

Modifications to Policies and Procedures

The City will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all City programs, services, and activities. For example, individuals with service animals are welcome in City 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, should contact the ADA/504 Coordinator as soon as possible, but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event.

The ADA does not require the City to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or services, or impose an undue financial or administrative burden. 

The City 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.

Complaints that a program, service, or activity of the City is not accessible to persons with disabilities should be directed to: 

Monica LaBossiere, ADA/504 Coordinator
City of Saratoga
13777 Fruitvale Avenue
Saratoga, CA 95070
Email: mlabossiere@saratoga.ca.us
Phone: (408) 868-1252
TTY: California Relay at 7-1-1

This Grievance Procedure is established to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)/Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act 1973 (Section 504). 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 the City of Saratoga. The City’s Personnel Policy governs employment-related complaints of disability discrimination.

The Grievance Form can be used to file an official complaint and should contain information about the alleged discrimination, such as name, address, and phone number of grievant, along with the location, date, and description of the problem. Grievances should be signed by the grievant or their authorized representative. Alternative means of filing grievances, such as personal interviews or a tape recording of the grievance, will be made available for persons with disabilities upon request. The grievance should be submitted by the grievant and/or their designee as soon as possible, but no later than 60 calendar days after the alleged violation 

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the grievance, the ADA/504 Coordinator or their designee will contact the grievant to discuss the grievance and possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days of the discussion, the ADA/504 Coordinator or their designee will respond in writing, and where appropriate, in a format accessible to the grievant, such as large print, Braille, or audio tape. The response will explain the position of the City and offer options for substantive resolution of the grievance.

If the response by the ADA/504 Coordinator or their designee does not satisfactorily resolve the issue, the grievant and/or their designee may appeal the decision within 15 calendar days after receipt of the response to the City Manager, or their designee. Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the appeal, the City Manager or their designee will contact the grievant to discuss the grievance and possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days after the discussion, the City Manager or their designee will respond in writing, and where appropriate, in a format accessible to the grievant, with a final resolution of the grievance.

All written grievances received by the ADA/504 Coordinator or their designee, appeals to the City Manager or their designee, and responses from these two offices will be retained by the City for at least three years.