Filing an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Complaint with the City of Vancouver

In accordance with the requirements of title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the City of Vancouver will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities.

This complaint process is established to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”). If you feel you or another member of the public have been denied access to a City facility, meeting, event, program, service, or activity as a result of your disability, or if you feel you have been discriminated against because of a disability, send your complaint to the City of Vancouver ADA Coordinator as soon as possible but no later than 60 calendar days after the alleged violation:

Jen Dugger Spalding
ADA Coordinator
Address: 415 W 6th Street, Vancouver, WA 98660
Phone: 360-726-7122
Email: adacoordinator@cityofvancouver.us

All Complaints Should Include

• Your full name, address, email, and telephone number (if any);
• The full name of the person who was discriminated against (if someone other than yourself);
• The name and address of the program, service, activity, or facility where there is/was a concern;
• A description of the concern (include any relevant date(s) and/or name(s) of any city employees involved (if known); and
• Other information that you believe necessary to support your complaint. Please send us copies of any relevant documents but keep the originals for your own records.

Complaint Resolution Procedure

• All complaints must be in writing, containing the name and address of the person filing it. The complaint must state the problem or action alleged to be discriminatory and the remedy or relief sought.
• The ADA Coordinator (or designee) shall conduct an investigation of the complaint. This investigation may be informal, but it must be thorough, affording all interested persons an opportunity to submit evidence relevant to the complaint.
• Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the complaint, the ADA Coordinator (or designee) will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and the possible resolutions.
• Within 15 calendar days of the meeting, the ADA Coordinator (or designee) will respond in writing, and where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, such as large print, Braille, or audio file. The response will explain the position of the City of Vancouver and offer options for substantive resolution of the complaint.
• In more complex cases, the ADA Coordinator (or designee) may ask for more time to interview witnesses or investigate further.
• If the response of the ADA Coordinator (or designee) does not satisfactorily resolve the issue, the complainant may appeal the decision within 15 calendar days after receipt of the response to the Deputy City Manager, Lisa Brandl: lisa.brandl@cityofvancouver.us
• Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the appeal, the Deputy City Manager or their designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and possible resolutions.
• Within 15 calendar days after the meeting, the Deputy City Manager or their designee will respond in writing, and, where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, with a final resolution of the complaint.

In the case where the complaint implicates the ADA Coordinator as contributing to the accessibility barrier or discrimination they have experienced, the complaint will go directly to the Director of Human Resources. Appeals for such complaints would still go to the Deputy City Manager.

Additional Information about Filing All Complaints

• In the case where the complaint implicates the Deputy Director of Human Resources as contributing to the accessibility barrier or discrimination they have experienced, the complaint will go directly to the Director of Human Resources. Appeals for such complaints would still go to the Deputy City Manager.
• The City can provide alternative means of filing complaints, conducting investigative meetings, and providing responses to people with disabilities as an accommodation upon request. Please include the details of your accommodation request with your complaint.
• All written complaints received by the Deputy Director of Human Resources or their designee, appeals to the Deputy City Manager or their designee, and responses from these two offices will be retained by the City of Vancouver for at least three years.
• The availability and use of this complaint process does not prevent a person from filing a complaint of discrimination on the basis of disability with the following:
  • Office for Civil Rights (for Title II complaints only)
  • Washington Department of Labor and Industries (for Title I complaints only)
  • The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (for Title I complaints only)
  • The U.S. Department of Justice