Enforcing the federal disability-related civil rights laws

•	Federal or federally funded building or facility, such as a U.S. post office or Federal courthouse governed by the Architectural Barriers Act.  Enforced by the Access Board and requires that federally funded buildings and facilities be accessible to people with disabilities.
 
Compliance and Enforcement Section 
1331 F Street, NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20004-1111
Fax: (202) 272-0081 
E-mail: enforce@access-board.gov
Web:    www.access-board.gov
or file a complaint online @: http://tinyurl.com/3robwz

•	Federally funded program or service, such as quality of service at a social security office is governed by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination based on disability in Federal employment and federally funded programs and services, by Federal contractors, and in the availability and use of Federal agencies’ electronic and information technology.

Section 504 of this act prohibits discrimination based on disability in federally funded programs and services. To file complaint under Section 504, contact the Federal agency providing the funds for the program or service, as listed on the Section 504 Contact List: http://www.access-board.gov/enforcement/504.htm

•	Private or commercial facility, accessibility requirements are governed under Title III of the ADA, which covers public accommodations and commercial facilities such as banks, restaurants, and retail stores as well as transportation facilities and vehicles operated by private entities. The U.S. Department of Justice enforces this title; to file an ADA title III complaint, contact: the USDOJ at:

Disability Rights Section, Civil Rights Division
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20530
(202) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0301
(202) 514-0381 or (800) 514-0383 (TTY)
(202) 307-1198 (Fax)
(see attached Title III How to File A Complaint Instructions)

•	State or local government building or facility, such as a county courthouse or State office building is governed under Title II of the ADA Title II addresses services and activities of State and local governments, including actions applicable to public transportation provided by public entities. 

The U.S. Department of Justice enforces this title; to file an ADA Title II complaint, contact:

Disability Rights Section, Civil Rights Division
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20530
(202) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0301
(202) 514-0381 or (800) 514-0383 (TTY)
www.ada.gov

Complaints concerning public transportation should be directed to:
Director, Office of Civil Rights
Office of the Secretary
U.S. Department of Transportation
400 7th Street, S.W., Room 10215
Washington, DC  20590
(202) 366-4648
http://www.dotcr.ost.dot.gov/asp/acc.asp

Note: Transportation facilities and vehicles operated by private companies (tour buses, airport shuttles, etc) are covered under Title III (see above).
 
•	Employment issues, such as a failure to reasonably accommodate.  

Federal employment: This is governed by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination based on disability in Federal employment and federally funded programs and services, by Federal contractors. Section 501 of this act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in Federal employment and applicants for employment. Federal agencies are required to make reasonable accommodations for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities. To file a Section 501 complaint, contact the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Officer in the employing agency. If you already have raised the issue with your agency’s EEO Officer and it was not resolved, you may contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (see below).

Private sector & employment by state and local governmental agencies: This is governed by Title I of the ADA which prohibits discrimination based on disability in employment, and includes special features related to reasonable accommodations, qualification standards and other labor management issues. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces this title. To file an ADA title I complaint, contact:

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
1801 L Street, NW
Washington, DC 20507
(800) 669-4000
(800) 669-6820 (TTY)
http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/fs-fed.html

•	Air travel or an air carrier, such as difficulty in transferring between flights is governed by the Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 prohibits discrimination by air carriers on the basis of disability. It includes provisions concerning physical facilities and services to be provided to passengers with disabilities. Information on filing a complaint about air travel service problems, including accessibility issues, is available on the Department of Transportation web site. This site provides information on the rights of air travelers with disabilities.  Further information is available from the:

Aviation Consumer Protection Div. 
400 7th Street, S.W., Room 4107
Washington, DC 20590 
(866) 266-1368 (voice) 
(866) 754-4368 (TTY)
http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov
E-mail: airconsumer@ost.dot.gov

In light of the heightened security at the nation’s airports, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has taken steps to ensure that the rights of passengers with disabilities are protected.  The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the new entity within the Department of Transportation responsible for protecting the nation’s transit system, has issued guidance to air travelers, including those with disabilities, on new security screening procedures.  This guidance is intended to inform passengers with disabilities of their rights, including those with mobility, hearing, or vision impairments.  For further information on security screening procedures, contact:  

Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
400 7th Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20590 
(866) 289-9673
www.tsa.gov

E-mail:  TSA-ConsumerResponse@tsa.dot.gov  
For concerns about potential civil rights violations, you can contact TSA's Office of Civil Rights.
Toll-free - 1-877-336-4872
TTY - 800-877-8339
E-mail - tsa-contactcenter@dhs.gov

•	Housing facility, such as lack of accessible parking at a private apartment complex is governed by the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race or color, national origin, religion, sex, family status or disability. This act covers most housing. (NOTE: Complaints about public housing projects may be covered under the Architectural Barriers Act.)

To file a complaint under the Fair Housing Act, contact the HUD office nearest you by calling or sending them a letter.  Information on filing a complaint is available on HUD's web site @: http://www.hud.gov/complaints/housediscrim.cfm
You have one year after an alleged violation to file a complaint with HUD, but you should file it as soon as possible. 

•	Access to electronic information or technology, such as difficulty by a blind employee or other user in gaining access to a federal web site using a adaptive technology is governed by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and requires that Federal agencies, when developing, procuring, maintaining or using electronic and information technology, ensure that this technology is accessible to and usable by Federal employees and also to members of the public with disabilities seeking information or services from Federal agencies. The U.S. Department of Justice has general oversight of this section. To file a complaint under Section 508, contact the Federal agency providing the funds for the program or service, as listed on the Section 504 Contact List detailed above.

•	Telecommunications issue, such as a newly manufactured cell phone causing buzzing in your hearing aid is governed by Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 requires that telecommunications service providers and equipment manufacturers make their services and equipment accessible to persons with disabilities, to the extent that it is readily achievable to do so.  The Federal Communications Commission is responsible for the overall implementation and enforcement of access requirements for both telecommunications services and equipment.

Although not required, the FCC encourages you to contact the company or service provider directly first before filing a complaint.  Contact information for many companies and providers is available on the FCC's web site along with tips on filing a section 255 complaint @: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/cgb_offices.html#DRO

For more information about filing a complaint under this law, contact:

Federal Communications Commission
Consumer Information Bureau
Disabilities Rights Office
445 12th Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20554
(202) 418-2498
E-mail: access@fcc.gov

•	Access to your polling place, such as lack of an accessible polling place or information by TTY is governed by the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act.  The Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984 generally requires registration facilities and polling places for Federal elections to be accessible to persons with disabilities. Where no accessible location is available to serve as a polling place, a political subdivision must provide an alternate means of casting a ballot on the day of the election. This law also requires States to make available registration and voting aids for disabled and elderly voters, including instructions in large type and information by telecommunications devices for the deaf.

If a State or political subdivision does not comply with this act, the U.S. Attorney General or the person affected by the noncompliance may bring action for relief in the appropriate district court. To file a complaint, contact:

Voting Section
Civil Rights Division
U.S. Department of Justice
P.O. Box 66128
Washington, DC 20035-6128
(800) 253-3931 (voice/TTY)

•	Access within educational facilities and to educational programs: 
o	Schools, Colleges and Universities (Private), are governed by Title III of the ADA. (see information above)
o	Schools, Colleges and Universities (Public), are governed by Title II of the ADA. (see information above), and for the  local Office on Civil Rights serving your state visit: http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OCR/contactus.cfm
o	Pre-school and Day Care Centers, if privately operated are governed by Title III of the ADA. (see information above)