PDF version of the City of Chicago Grievance Procedure Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

City of Chicago Grievance Procedure Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

This Grievance Procedure is established to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended (“ADA”) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (“Rehabilitation Act”).  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 City of Chicago.  The City of Chicago’s Personnel Policy governs employment-related complaints of disability discrimination.[1]

Complaints must be submitted to the Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, the designated ADA/Rehabilitation Act Coordinator for the City of Chicago, using the following contact information:

Rachel Arfa, Commissioner                                                  

Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities                                        

City of Chicago                                                                                

121 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 104                                                

Chicago, Illinois 60602                                                            

Phone: 312.744.7209                                                                  

TTY: 312.744.4964                                                                      

Fax: 312.744.3314                                                                          

Email: Rachel.Arfa@cityofchicago.org

• Where possible, complaints should be in writing and should contain the name, address, telephone number and email address of the person filing the complaint, along with a description of the alleged act[s] of discrimination.  If a complainant is unable to put his/her complaint in writing, he/she can file it by telephone, in-person statement or using an appropriate auxiliary aid or service provided by the City of Chicago.
• Upon request, the City of Chicago will provide auxiliary aids and services to allow people with disabilities to file complaints.
• Complaints should be filed within sixty (60) calendar days from the date on which the complainant becomes aware of the alleged violation.
• As appropriate, the ADA/Rehabilitation Act Coordinator or her designee will conduct an investigation of the complaint.  At the discretion of the ADA/Rehabilitation Act Coordinator or her designee the investigation may be informal.  The investigation will be thorough and will afford interested persons and their representatives, if any, an opportunity to submit evidence relevant to the complaint.
• The ADA/Rehabilitation Act Coordinator or her designee will issue a written determination as to the validity of the complaint and a description of the resolution, if any, no later than thirty (30) days after the complaint is submitted in a format that is accessible to the complainant.  In the event that the complainant fails to cooperate with the investigation, the ADA/Rehabilitation Act Coordinator may extend the time to issue the determination or may dismiss the complaint without determination.
• The complainant can request a reconsideration of the case if he/she is dissatisfied with the resolution.  The request for reconsideration must state the reason the complainant disagrees with the resolution and must be made no more than fifteen (15) days after the determination is issued.  The ADA/Rehabilitation Act Coordinator shall issue a written response to the request for reconsideration within thirty (30) days of the request in a format that is accessible to the complainant.
• The ADA/Rehabilitation Act Coordinator shall maintain all files and records related to the complaints filed pursuant to this grievance procedure.  All written complaints received by the ADA/Rehabilitation Act Coordinator or her designee as well as all investigation files, evidence and other documents, including those related to requests for reconsideration will be retained for at least three (3) years.
• The availability and/or use of this grievance procedure does not prevent a person from filing a complaint with another government agency, including but not limited to the U.S. Department of Justice. Pursuit of other remedies, including filing a complaint with a different agency, will not impact the resolution of the complaint filed with the ADA/Rehabilitation Act Coordinator.

[1] City of Chicago employees and job applicants must file employment-related discrimination complaints with the Department of Human Resources using the complaint procedures available pursuant to the City of Chicago Personnel Policy.