ADA Compliance

Americans with Disabilities Act

The City Manager’s Office works with the City Attorney’s Office, the Public Works Department, and the ADA Coordinator to refine the implementation and monitoring of the City’s ADA Compliance Transition Plan.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a comprehensive civil rights law for people with disabilities. According to the United States Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, “To be protected by the ADA, one must have a disability, which is defined by the ADA as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.”

The ADA does not specifically name all of the impairments that are covered. The full text version of the Americans with Disabilities Act can be found here https://www.ada.gov/pubs/adastatute08.htm.

The United States Department of Justice enforces the ADA's requirements in three areas:

Title I: Employment practices by units of State and local government

Title II: Programs, services, and activities of States and local government (CLR)

Title III: Public accommodations and commercial facilities

Some of the City's ADA activity updates include working closely with the Public Works Department and the City Attorney’s Office to continue the implementation of the City’s ADA Compliance Transition Plan, refining the City-wide database for the management and tracking of the ADA curb ramp construction program, and installing 259 additional ADA curb ramps to bring total curb ramps installed from 1999-2004 to 1,777.

City of Little Rock’s ADA Grievance Procedure (created July 1, 1999)

The City of Little Rock, Arkansas, has instituted the following procedures for the prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging any action prohibited by the U.S. Department of Justice regulations implementing Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Title II states, in part, that “no otherwise qualified disabled individual shall, solely by reason of such disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in programs or activities sponsored by a public entity.”

Complaints should be addressed to the City’s ADA Coordinator: Ms. Emily Cox, City Hall, 500 W. Markham, Little Rock, AR, 72201, or call her at 501-371-4510.

Complaints must be in writing or “another equally effective” form of communication, containing the name and address of the complainant, and shall state the facts upon which the allegations are based. City staff will assist in drafting the complaint, if requested, and will ensure the complaint is documented in written form.

Complaints must be filed within fifteen (15) business days after the complainant becomes aware of the alleged violation.

Upon the filing of a complaint, the ADA Coordinator shall initiate a prompt investigation of the alleged violation, affording all interested persons and their representatives, if any, an opportunity to submit evidence relevant to the complaint.

A written determination as to the validity of the complaint and a description of the resolution, if any, shall be issued by the ADA Coordinator and a copy forwarded to the complainant no later than thirty (30) business days after its filing. The ADA Coordinator will ensure “equally effective communication” if necessary.

The ADA Coordinator shall maintain the files and records of the City relating to the complaint filed.

The complainant can request a hearing of the case before the ADA Grievance Committee in instances where he or she is dissatisfied with the determination or proposed resolution of the ADA Coordinator. The request for reconsideration must be made in writing or other “equally effective communication” and provided to the ADA Coordinator within ten (10) business days following the Complainant’s receipt of the ADA Coordinator’s determination and proposed resolution, if any, and communicate the reasons for the dissatisfaction. All members of the ADA Grievance Committee will be sent the request for reconsideration within ten (10) business days of receipt of the request for hearing. Each Committee member will review all prior documents and will participate in a determination whether to grant or deny the request for reconsideration within fifteen (15) business days from his/her receipt of the request.

Such meeting may be held via conference call or telephone poll. If the request for reconsideration is granted by a majority of the Committee, the Committee will schedule a hearing at its first available opportunity, but within thirty (30) days of the meeting date where the request for reconsideration was granted. Upon hearing, the matter will be determined by the Grievance Committee within fifteen (15) business days and submitted in writing or other “equally effective communication” to the complainant.

The right of the person to a prompt and equitable resolution of the complaint filed hereunder shall not be impaired by the person’s pursuit of other remedies such as filing of an ADA complaint with the appropriate state or federal agency. Use of this procedure is not a prerequisite to the pursuit of other remedies.

These procedures shall be construed to protect the substantive rights of interested persons, to meet appropriate due process standards, and to assure that the City of Little Rock complies with Title II of the ADA and implementing regulations.

Complaints may also be filed in writing with the U.S. Department of Justice. Complaints should be submitted to:

U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Civil Rights Division
Disability Rights Section
Washington, D.C. 20530