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Monitoring for Section 504 Compliance
<br /> Annual Report Instructions
<br /> This report should clearly describe the reasonable steps and due diligence to assist the qualified persons with disabilities
<br /> (24 CFR Part 8) within the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) . This report should clearly describe if there
<br /> were any limitations to assist the disabled/handicap population and why. Complete this report by local government, not by
<br /> grant number, but indicate what grant numbers are active by the grantee. j
<br /> BELOW YOU WILL FIND SOME OPTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS TO ENSURE THE DISABLED POPULATION IS
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<br /> ASSISTED WHEN IS REQUIRED
<br /> Physical access : This means access to buildings , public spaces, and any other place a person might need to go for work,
<br /> play, education, business, services , etc. Physical access includes things like accessible routes , curb ramps , parking and
<br /> passenger loading zones, elevators , signage, entrances, and restroom accommodations .
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<br /> Access to communication and information : Signs , public address systems , the Internet, telephones , and many other
<br /> communication media are oriented toward people who can hear, see and use their hands easily. Making these media
<br /> accessible to people with disabilities can take some creativity and ingenuity.
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<br /> Program accessibility: People with disabilities have, in the past, often been denied access to services of various kinds —
<br /> from such human services as childcare or mental health counseling to help in retail stores to entertainment — either because
<br /> of lack of physical accessibility or because of their disabilities.
<br /> Employment: Discrimination in hiring based on disability — if the disability doesn 't interfere with a candidate ' s ability to
<br /> perform the tasks of the job in question — is illegal in the U. S . and many other countries, and unfair everywhere .
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<br /> Education : Everyone has a right to an education appropriate to her talents and needs . The Individuals with Disabilities
<br /> Education Act (IDEA) in the U. S . , as well as laws in many other countries , guarantee education to students with disabilities .
<br /> Community access : Everyone should have the right to fully participate in community life, including attending religious
<br /> services , dining in public restaurants, shopping, enjoying community park facilities , and the like . Even where there are no
<br /> physical barriers, people with disabilities still sometimes experience differential treatment.
<br /> In general, ADA requires that public and government facilities, cities and towns, educational institutions , employers , and
<br /> service providers make reasonable accommodations where necessary to serve people with disabilities . "Reasonable
<br /> accommodation" means making changes that don' t cause unreasonable hardship to the party making them or to others that
<br /> party deals with (students, customers, employees, program participants, etc .) .
<br /> I. WHEN DO YOU ENSURE ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ?
<br /> • When new public facilities are being designed and/or built. Any new building used as a public facility (e. g .,
<br /> parks, sports stadiums, other public facilities) must be accessible . Minimally, the design should be functional to
<br /> accommodate people with different abilities , but good design can make accessibility total and essentially invisible.
<br /> • When there' s an addition, renovation, or repair made to a public facility. This is the time to make sure that
<br /> accessibility means total accessibility. Even buildings and other facilities that fulfill all the requirements of ADA
<br /> aren' t always totally usable for people with disabilities . It ' s important that designers, builders, and people with
<br /> disabilities themselves think about how best to provide access . If over 25 % of a building is being remodeled, ADA
<br /> requires making the entire building accessible. In addition, some states have a tax incentive for owners who bring
<br /> their buildings into compliance with ADA.
<br /> • When a historic building is rehabilitated for a public use. This is an easy sell, since not only is it the law to make
<br /> such a project accessible, but the developer can get back a good bit of the money spent on accessibility
<br /> improvements through tax credits. Additionally, construction and modifications can be made so that they do not
<br /> look obvious in order to help maintain the historical look of the fayade .
<br /> • When a community group is working on improving or rehabilitating a public facility or space . A grassroots
<br /> group may be trying to bring back a neighborhood park or restore an abandoned warehouse as a community
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