Access to Library Services for People with Disabilities POLICY

Adopted by Spokane Public Library Board of Trustees on July 26, 2016.

Policy

1.1 The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability by public entities. These laws are designed to remove barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from accessing the same educational and employment opportunities as persons without disabilities.

1.2 Spokane Public Library’s goal is to ensure equality of access and opportunity for customers with disabilities by providing reasonable and appropriate accommodations and services that will assist the customer.

1.3 The process of obtaining accommodations is an interactive process. By law, a customer is not required to identify themselves as having a disability, unless requesting accommodations from the library. It is the responsibility of the customer to initiate the process by self disclosing as an individual with a disability to the staff and requesting reasonable accommodations.

1.4 Assistive equipment is provided by Spokane Public Library to assist individuals with visual, hearing or reading disabilities.

1.4.1 Persons wishing to use the equipment must be able to demonstrate competence in use of the equipment or be trained by Library staff. It may be necessary to schedule training session demonstrations with Library staff in advance.

1.4.2 The Library will provide training in the use of equipment but is not able to provide regular assistance.

1.4.3 It may be necessary to schedule use of assistive equipment with Library staff in advance.

1.4.4  Some assistive equipment is provided to the Library under the restriction that it be used exclusively by disabled customers. Therefore the Library reserves the right to verify the visual or reading impairment, including requiring proof from a health practitioner.

1.5 Services of a personal nature are not considered reasonable accommodations and are not provided by Spokane Public Library. Examples of personal services include but are not limited to tutoring, attendant care, transportation, wheelchairs or wheelchair repair, hearing aids, readers for personal use, computers and software for use at home, individually prescribed devices, prescription eyeglasses and alternate format material unrelated to interlibrary loan.

1.6 Issues regarding reasonable accommodations for disabilities that are not resolved by public services staff should be addressed by the following grievance procedure. 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 Spokane Public Library. The Spokane Public Library’s personnel 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 audio 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:

ADA Coordinator/Human Resources Manager
Spokane Public Library
906 W. Main Avenue
Spokane, WA 99201

Within 30 calendar days after receipt of the complaint, the ADA Coordinator/Human Resources Manager will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and the possible resolutions.

Within 30 calendar days of the meeting, the ADA Coordinator/Human Resources Manager will respond in writing, and where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, such as large print or audio recording. The response will explain the position of the Spokane Public Library and, where possible, offer options for substantive resolution of the complaint.

If the response by the ADA Coordinator/Human Resources Manager does not satisfactorily resolve the issue, the complainant and/or his/her designee may appeal the decision to the Executive Director within 30 calendar days after receipt of the response.

Within 30 calendar days after receipt of the appeal, the Executive Director or his/her designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and possible resolutions.

Within 30 calendar days after the meeting the Executive Director or his/her 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 the ADA Coordinator/Human Resources Manager, appeals to the Executive Director or his/her designee, and responses from these two offices will be retained by the Spokane Public Library for at least three years.