Notice under the Americans with Disabilities Act
In accordance with the requirements of title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”), the Minnesota Council on Disability (MCD) will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities.
Employment
MCD does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment practices and complies with all regulations promulgated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under title I of the ADA.
Effective Communication
MCD will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities so they can participate equally in MCD’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.
For accommodation requests, including requesting any document on this website in an alternative format, contact David Fenley at 651-361-7809 or david.fenley@state.mn.us.
Modifications to Policies and Procedures
MCD 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. For example, individuals with service animals are welcomed in MCD 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 MCD, should contact the office of David Fenley at 651-361-7809, david.fenley@state.mn.us, 121 East 7th Place, Suite 107, St. Paul, MN 55101 as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event.
The ADA does not require the MCD to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or services, or impose an undue financial or administrative burden.
Complaints that a program, service, or activity of MCD is not accessible to persons with disabilities should be directed to David Fenley.
MCD 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.
Grievance Procedure Under the Americans with Disabilities Act
This Grievance Procedure is established to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”). 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 Minnesota Council on Disability (MCD). State policy governs employment-related complaints of disability discrimination.
The complaint should be in writing and contain information about the alleged discrimination such as name, address, phone number of complainant and location, date, and description of the problem. 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.
The complaint should be submitted by the grievant and/or his/her designee as soon as possible but no later than 60 calendar days after the alleged violation to:
David Fenley, ADA Coordinator 1600 University Avenue W, Suite 8, Saint Paul, MN 55104
Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the complaint, MCD ADA Coordinator or their designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and the possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days of the meeting, MCD ADA Coordinator or their designee will respond in writing, and where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, such as large print, Braille, or audio tape. The response will explain the position of the MCD and offer options for substantive resolution of the complaint.
If the response by MCD ADA Coordinator or their designee does not satisfactorily resolve the issue, the complainant and/or his/her designee may appeal the decision within 15 calendar days after receipt of the response to the Executive Director of the MCD.
Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the appeal, the Executive Director of the MCD or their designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days after the meeting, the Executive Director of the MCD or their designee will respond in writing, and, where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, with a final resolution of the complaint.
All written complaints received by MCD ADA Coordinator or their designee, appeals to the Executive Director of the MCD or their designee, and responses from these two offices will be retained by the MCD for at least three years.