Salt Lake County believes in, supports and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), as amended and Sections 503 & 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended in providing individuals with disabilities equal access to employment opportunities and the services, programs and activities the County offers. Members of the general public may seek assistance from any County employee in contacting the Human Resources Division or the ADA/504 Program Coordinator.
The ADA and Sections 503 & 504, are national laws that protect qualified individuals from discrimination based upon their disability. Title II of the ADA cover “public entities” like Salt Lake County. “Public entities” include any state or local government and any of its departments, divisions or agencies. All activities, services and programs are covered under this act including council meetings, police and court services, libraries, health services and employment.
The ADA/504 Program Coordinator is available to ensure compliance with the physical and program accessibility requirements of the ADA. Please call 385.468.0584 with any questions.
The ADA and Section 504 protect qualified individuals with disabilities. Under the law, individuals with disabilities are defined as persons with a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities. People who have a history of, or who are regarded as having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, are also covered.
Major life activities include caring for one’s self, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, working, performing manual tasks, and learning. Major life activities also include the operation of major bodily functions such as the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive system, etc. Some examples of impairments which may substantially limit major life activities, even with the help of medication or aids/devices, are: AIDS, alcoholism, blindness or visual impairment, cancer, deafness or hearing impairment, diabetes, heart disease and mental illness.
In addition to meeting the above definition, for purposes of receiving services, education or training, qualified individuals with disabilities are persons who meet normal and essential eligibility requirements.
For purposes of employment, qualified individuals with disabilities are persons who, with reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of the job for which they have applied or have been hired to perform. Reasonable accommodation means an employer is required to take reasonable steps to accommodate a disability unless it would cause the employer undue hardship.
Title II of the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act require that Salt Lake County’s programs, services and activities, when viewed in their entirety, are readily accessible to and useable by individuals with disabilities. Salt Lake County will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services and activities. The obligation to reasonably modify policies and procedures may exist regardless of whether a request is made when the need is known or obvious to the County. However, the County does not have to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or activities or impose an undue financial or administrative burden.
Anyone who requires a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a program, service or activity of Salt Lake County, should contact the agency or the ADA/Section 504 Program Coordinator as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event. See County-wide Policy 1316 on Reasonable Modifications, Auxiliary Aids and Services for Persons with Disabilities under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Examples of how to provide equal access:
When someone with a disability requests a modification or accommodation so they can participate in a program, service or activity, that request must be considered on an individual basis. There can never be a blanket modification that applies to all individuals with disabilities.
Salt Lake County will provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services to ensure effective communication for qualified individuals with disabilities so they can participate equally in the County’s programs, services and activities. Such aids and services will be provided at no cost to the person being served unless it would fundamentally alter the nature of the program, service or activity or the auxiliary aids and services cause an undue burden. Such services may include qualified sign language interpreters, alternate formats like large print, and other ways of making information and communications accessible to individuals with speech, hearing or vision impairments.
All departments, divisions, offices, agencies and boards within Salt Lake County are responsible for providing effective communications for all patrons and have an ongoing obligation to provide such services regardless of whether the individual makes a request once the need is known.
Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, should contact the agency or the ADA/504 Program Coordinator as soon as possible but no later than 72 hours before the scheduled event. See County-wide Policy 1316 on Reasonable Modifications, Auxiliary Aids and Services for Persons with Disabilities under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Salt Lake County’s dedicated TTY phone numbers for many individual agencies are being discontinued.
If you use either a teletypewriter (TTY) or computer equipment with TTY capability to place your phone calls, please dial 711 (Relay Utah) then give the Relay operator the County phone number you wish to call.
Calls are also accepted using the video relay services if you have equipment available.
When a sign language interpreter is requested, it is the responsibility of the agency to arrange for and pay for this auxiliary aid. The County has current master agreements for interpreters, including American Sign Language.
Countywide master agreements based on State of Utah contracts have been prepared for all County agencies to use. Agencies needing services should get in touch with the vendor contact as listed on the summary page of the appropriate State contract. These summaries are attached to each Countywide master agreement. The ADA does not cover foreign language interpreters but this information is also available through the following link.
Current contract information for all interpreters.
All written communications must be available in an alternate format, if requested. It is not necessary to produce any alternate format documents until a specific request is made or known to the County. Examples of alternate format are large print (typically 18 point font reprinted from a computer file or enlarged on a copy machine), audio recordings, and Braille (local contacts: Utah State Library for the Blind and Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired).
THIS INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE IN AN ALTERNATE FORMAT, UPON REQUEST. To expedite accommodation requests and coordination, please contact [insert the contact information for the agency’s ADA/504 Liaison]. TTY users may call 711.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as amended and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, Salt Lake County will provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services, at no cost, to ensure effective communication for qualified individuals with disabilities so they can participate equally in the County’s open meetings and classes. Such aids and services may include qualified sign language interpreters, alternate formats like large print, and other ways of making information and communications accessible to individuals with speech, hearing or vision impairments.
All Salt Lake County public meeting notices and class notices must include the following language:
Upon request with three working days’ notice, Salt Lake County will provide free auxiliary aids and services to qualified individuals (including sign language interpreters, alternative formats, etc.) to ensure effective communication. For assistance, please call {insert agency contact information for the staff member responsible for such requests} TTY 711.
Salt Lake County has adopted an internal grievance procedure providing for the prompt and equitable resolution of grievances. Any person, whether a member of the general public, an applicant for employment or an employee who feels that he or she has been discriminated against or denied equal access to employment, programs, services or activities offered or sponsored by Salt Lake County may file a complaint with the:
ADA/504 Program CoordinatorYour complaint should be in writing, preferably typed or printed neatly, dated, signed, and should include the following information:
Filing a grievance with the ADA/504 Program Coordinator (or her/his designee) does not prevent a person from filing a complaint with the:
Office for Civil Rights, Region VIII