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 City of Oak Ridge will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities.

Employment: The City of Oak Ridge 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: The City of Oak Ridge will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities so they can participate equally in the City of Oak Ridge 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.

Modifications to Policies and Procedures: The City of Oak Ridge 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 welcome in the City of Oak Ridge 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 the City of Oak Ridge, should contact the office of Michael Smith, ADA Coordinator, at (865) 425-1847 or Mary Beth Hickman, City Clerk, at (865) 425-3411 or by email at ADA@oakridgetn.gov as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event.

The ADA does not require the City of Oak Ridge 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 the City of Oak Ridge is not accessible to persons with disabilities should be directed to Michael Smith, ADA Coordinator, at (865) 425-1847. Citizens may also contact the ADA information line at (865) 425-3579, or by email at ADA@oakridgetn.gov.

The City of Oak Ridge 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.

Click here to view the ADA Grievance Procedure.