The Department on Disability: Helping You Achieve ADA Compliance

Did you know there’s a city department dedicated to ensuring compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and improving quality of life for persons with disabilities? Are you taking advantage of the resources and services the Department offers to provide accessibility to all of your Neighborhood Council meetings?

The Department on Disability, on behalf of the City of Los Angeles, is committed to ensuring full access to employment, programs, facilities and services through strategic management and partnership education, advocacy, training, research and improved service delivery for the benefit of persons with disabilities, providers of essential resources and policymakers.

The Office on Disability was created in 1975 in response to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as a Division within the Mayor’s Office. In 1998, the Mayor and the City Council created the Department on Disabilities, the first of its kind in the nation.

In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) further expanded Civil rights protections of persons with disabilities. Together, the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 require local governments to provide accessibility to public accommodations including: access to public employment, buildings, facilities, programs, social services and transportation.

The Department is responsible for:

• Proposing, developing and implementing policies, programs, services, and activities that will improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities; and
• Development and implementation of the City’s federally mandated ADA Transition Plan, which is designed to guide the City into full ADA Compliance; and
• Providing ADA Compliance training for City Departments and private entities.

The Department on Disability and the Commission on Disability work together to respond to the needs and concerns of citizens in the City of Los Angeles. The Commission advocates for people with disabilities and serves in an advisory capacity to the Department. The Commission holds public hearings on critical issues, identifies priority issues to be addressed, and makes recommendations to the Mayor and City Council.

Upon request, Sign Language Interpreters and materials in alternative formats are available to the public for City sponsored meetings and events. All requests for reasonable accommodations must be made at least three working days, or 72 hours in advance of the event or meeting date.

More information about the Department, ADA requirements, and how to request assistance can be found at http://disability.lacity.org.