In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”), the County of Union does not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs or activities.
The County of Union has adopted an internal grievance procedure providing for prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging any action prohibited by the Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA Grievance Procedure for the County of Union can be found below.
If you have any questions regarding the ADA Grievance Procedure for the County of Union or to report any alleged incidence of discrimination based on disability, or denial of equal access to a County program, service or activity, please contact the ADA Coordinator for the County of Union at (908) 527-4807.
COUNTY OF UNION
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
The County of Union has adopted an internal grievance procedure providing for prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging any action prohibited by the U.S. Department of Justice regulations implementing Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, (“ADA”). Title II states, in part, that “no otherwise qualified disabled individual shall, solely by reason of such disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination” in programs or activities sponsored by a public entity.
Complaints should be addressed to
Charles Newman, ADA Coordinator
Union County Administration Building, 4th Floor
10 Elizabethtown Plaza
Elizabeth, New Jersey 07207
who has been designated to coordinate the County’s ADA compliance efforts.
1. A complaint should be filed in writing, and contain the name and address of the person filing it, and briefly describe the alleged violation of the regulations.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.
2. A complaint should be filed within twenty (20) days after the complainant becomes aware of the alleged violation.
3. An investigation, as may be appropriate, shall follow the filing of a complaint. The investigation shall be conducted by the ADA Coordinator. These rules contemplate informal but thorough investigations, affording all interested persons and their representative, if any, an opportunity to submit evidence relevant to a complaint.
4. A written determination as to the validity of the complaint and a description of resolution, if any, shall be issued by the ADA Coordinator and a copy forwarded to the complainant no later than forty five (45) days after its filing, where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant.
5. The ADA Coordinator shall retain the files and records of the County of Union relating to complaints filed for at least three (3) years.
6. The complainant may request a reconsideration of the case in instances where he or she is dissatisfied with the resolution. The request for reconsideration shall be, made within ten (10) days of date of issuance of the written determination to the Union County ADA Committee, c/o Clerk of the Board of Chosen Freeholders, County of Union, Administration Building, Elizabeth, New Jersey 07207.
7. The right of a person to a prompt and equitable resolution of the complaint filed hereunder shall not be impaired by the person’s pursuit of other remedies such as the filing of an ADA Complaint with the responsible federal department or agency. Use of this grievance procedure is not a prerequisite to the pursuit of other remedies.
8. These rules shall be construed to protect the substantive rights of interested persons to meet appropriate due process standards, and to assure that the County of Union complies with the ADA and its implementing regulations.