Disability Access Plan
COMMITMENT
Rockdale County is committed to ensuring all people, including persons with disabilities, are able to fully participate in and have access to County employment, activities, programs, services and facilities in compliance with Title I and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as amended, and all nondiscrimination laws. Title II of the ADA protects qualified individuals from discrimination on the basis of disability in services, programs, and activities provided by State and local government entities. Title II extends the prohibition on discrimination established by section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as amended 29 U.S.C. 794, to all activities of State and local governments regardless of whether these entities receive Federal financial assistance. 42 U.S.C. 12131B65. 40 C.F.R. § 7.45 prohibits handicapped persons from being “excluded from participation in, …denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving EPA assistance.”
DEFINITIONS
Disability a physical or mental condition that substantially limits a major life activity (such as walking, talking, seeing, hearing, or learning, or operation of a major bodily function, such as brain, musculoskeletal, respiratory, circulatory, or endocrine function)
Requestor an individual with a disability who requests accommodations (if needed) and/or modifications to access County services or facilities
Undue Hardship an action that is excessively costly, extensive, substantial, or disruptive, or that would fundamentally alter the nature or operation of the County’s business.
Reasonable Accommodation modifications or adjustments that enable access to County services or facilities for an individual with a disability.
ADA Coordinator the County employee who receives requests for reasonable accommodations on behalf of the County under Title I of the American with Disabilities Act.
ADA Appeals Officer the County employee who receives appeals of decisions reached by the ADA Coordinator and/or their representative under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Web Content information and experiences available on the web, like text, images, sound, videos, and documents.
WEB CONTENT ACCESSIBILITY
Rockdale will meet its obligations under Title II of the ADA for web content and mobile app accessibility. That technical standard is WCAG 2.1, Level AA. The implementation of these requirements allows for a more inclusive, accessible online experience for all individuals.
SERVICE ACCESSIBILITY
A reasonable modification is a change or exception to a policy, practice, or procedure to allow members of the public with disabilities similar access to programs, services, and activities as that afforded to individuals without disabilities. Employees may need reasonable accommodations, or changes to processes and/or accessibility, in order to perform the essential functions of their positions. Employees may request reasonable accommodations by contacting the Department of Human Resources.
To request a reasonable modification, individuals should contact the County’s Risk Management Manager, ADA Coordinator, at 770-278-8430.
Some examples of reasonable modification requests include:
- Requesting a qualified sign language interpreter for effective communication during meetings or events.
- Requesting written materials be provided in accessible formats such as braille or large print.
- Requesting live third-party captioning for in-person, hybrid, and virtual events and meetings.
FACILITY ACCESSIBILITY
Rockdale County strives for all of its facilities and public spaces to be fully accessible to all. Rockdale regularly evaluates its existing facilities, sidewalks and curbs for accessibility barriers. In addition, the County reviews and identifies barriers to public right-of-ways. All new construction is built in compliance with ADA accessibility guidelines unless there is a use exemption, or the facility is subject to an exception because the terrain makes meeting the guidelines structurally impracticable.
SERVICE ANIMALS
A service animal is a dog trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. To qualify, the animal must be able to perform disability-related work or tasks such as guiding, alerting to sounds, retrieving items, picking up items, detecting and protecting a person at the onset of a seizure, reminding a person to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. To qualify, a psychiatric service animal must be able to take independent action to alert – i.e. prior to an anxiety/panic attack. The action must be consistent and taken without cues from the handler. A dog still in training does not count as a service animal.
Generally, service animals are allowed to accompany individuals with disabilities in County facilities where the public is normally allowed to go. Service animals or guide dogs are allowed on County property if the following conditions are met:
- The animal has a harness, leash, or other tether; or otherwise, is under the handler’s control (e.g., voice control, signals, or other effective means).
- Does not cause a fundamental alteration of the program or activity. For example, an animal may be excluded where its presence compromises an environment that must remain sterile.
- Is not a direct threat.
- Does not violate a legitimate safety requirement.
County employees are permitted to ask two questions to determine if an animal is a service animal:
- Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? and
- What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
County employees will NOT:
- Request any documentation for the dog
- Require the dog to demonstrate a task
- Inquire about the nature of the person’s disability
Emotional support, therapy, comfort, or companion animals are NOT considered service animals.
TRAINING
All Rockdale employees will receive annual training on disability laws and anti-discrimination policies and processes to ensure compliance, promote inclusion, and foster a respectful workplace environment and welcoming culture.
GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES
Any person(s) may file a grievance with Rockdale County alleging discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, or retaliation in its operation of programs or activities by submitting a complaint online at www.rockdalecountyga.gov or by completing a grievance form in the Rockdale County Talent Management Office, 958 Milstead Ave., Conyers, GA 30012.
Upon receipt of a Complaint, the Employee Relations Manager/Title VI Coordinator (or their designee) will acknowledge receipt of the Complaint within five (5) business days. The County shall promptly and fairly resolve complaints that allege violations of federal non-discrimination laws.
Upon conclusion of an inquiry or investigation, the Employee Relations Manager/Title VI Coordinator will promptly send a final written determination about the outcome of the investigation and a description of the investigation process to the Complainant, based upon a preponderance of the evidence standard of review. A preponderance of the evidence standard is a consideration of whether the allegations more likely than not support a finding that the County has violated an anti-discrimination rule or regulation. A Complainant may appeal the decision of the County’s Employee Relations Manager/Title VI Coordinator by writing to the County’s Board of Commissioners (“BOC”) Chairperson at info@rockdale26.soliademo.com within ten (10) calendar days of receiving the decision. The County’s BOC Chairperson shall issue a written decision in response to the appeal no later than sixty (60) calendar days after its filing.
Prohibition Against Retaliation.
County employees shall not retaliate, intimidate, threaten, coerce, or discriminate against an individual or group for the purposes of interfering with any right or privilege granted pursuant to Non-Discrimination, or because an individual has filed a complaint or has testified, assisted, or participated in any way in an investigation under the Policy, nor will the County tolerate such actions. Retaliation is a serious violation of this policy and must be reported to the Employee Relations Manager/Title VI Coordinator immediately. Any claims of retaliation or intimidation will be addressed promptly and fairly.