ADA Accessibility
ADA and Disability
In accordance with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”) and other civil rights laws, Contra Costa County will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities.
Employment
Contra Costa County 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 and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). These regulations require employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified employees and job applicants with a disability in order that they may perform the essential functions of their job and receive equal employment opportunities.
The Human Resources Department Administrative Division is responsible for employment ADA-FEHA implementation. More information can be found on the Human Resources Reasonable Accommodation webpage or by contacting the ADA Manager by email or by phone at (925) 655-2182.
Public Access Policy
Contra Costa County is committed to providing ADA public access to all County facilities, programs, and services where possible. The County’s ADA Public Access Policy is available to the public and posted on the County website. The Risk Management Department is responsible for ADA public access implementation. More information about the County’s public access policy and implementation is available by contacting the County ADA Public Access Coordinator by email or phone at (925) 335-1400.
ADA Public Access Accommodation Request Form
To request an accommodation to gain access to a County facility, program, or service, members of the public may complete the Public Access Request Form and submit it directly to the Department or facility that they need to access. Forms can be emailed or printed and mailed directly to the Department, facility, or program. Requests can also be made verbally or through other means (email, handwritten notes, etc.) directly to the Department, facility, or program.
If additional assistance is needed or the member of the public is uncertain how to contact the Department, facility, or program, the request form can be submitted directly to the ADA Public Access Coordinator or contact Risk Management at (925) 335-1400.
The County will respond promptly to access requests. Some types of accommodation requests will need a lead time to prepare; please submit accommodation requests as early as possible to ensure the requests can be completed prior to the access or service.
If a modification would fundamentally change a program or create a hazard, it will not be implemented, other solutions will be sought. Some modifications may result in an “undue hardship.” This is defined by the ADA as an “action requiring significant difficulty or expense” due to the nature and cost of the accommodation in relation to the size, resources, and structure of the specific operation. A case-by-case evaluation will be made prior to making any decision on access in these situations. Modifications will be implemented with the priority given to existing and current projects that provide the most integrated setting, encourage interaction among all users, and provide the most equal access possible.
Complaint or Appeal of Access Request Denial
The County has a procedure for members of the public to submit a complaint or appeal the denial of a request for access to a program, service, or site. Members of the public may complete the Complaint / Appeal of Denial Form and submit it to the County ADA Public Access Coordinator who will review it and distribute it to the appropriate department for resolution and response.
If a member of the public indicates verbally or in writing that they object to the department’s position on an accommodation request, the County will receive this information and respond in a timely manner following the complaint/appeal procedure.
When the County receives a complaint or appeal of the denial, the member of the public will receive the decision in writing along with the information about their right to further appeal the denial to the County’s Equal Employment Officer.