PASCO COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

 

Americans With Disabilities Act - Policy for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation

In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, Pasco County (County) will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in the County's services, programs, or activities.

Effective communication: The County will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities so they can have meaningful access to County programs, services, and activities, including qualified sign language interpreters, documents in Braille, and other ways of making information and communications accessible to people who require hearing or speech assistance.

Modifications to policies and procedures: The County will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all County programs, services, and activities. For example, individuals with service animals are welcomed in County 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 County, should contact ADA Officer Barbara Hitzemann (voice: (727) 847-8103 , email: bhitzemann@pascocountyfl.net) as soon as possible but no later than 72 hours before the scheduled event. The ADA does not require the County to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or services, or impose an undue financial or administrative burden.

The County 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.

Complaints that a program, service, or activity of the County is not accessible to persons with disabilities should be directed to the ADA Officer Barbara Hitzemann (voice: (727) 847-8103 , email: bhitzemann@pascocountyfl.net)