ADA Accommodations

We believe and commit that "no qualified individual with a disability shall, by reason of such disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of a public entity, or be subjected to discrimination by any such entity," consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

This means:

  • Town buildings are wheelchair accessible, signs are in Braille, fire alarms have visual and audio alerts, and staff have basic information about helping people with disabilities.
  • We provide clear information on our website and other messages that people with limited sight can read and/or use electronic reading devices.
  • We welcome people with disabilities who want to participate in Town programs and services wherever possible.
  • We continue to work on our accessibility, implementing our ADA Transition Plan over the next few years.

Our ADA Coordinator Can Help

Our ADA Coordinator can help with questions related to accommodation requests:

How to get an Accommodation

We have several options for you or your caregiver to request an accommodation:

  • Contact the department. If you know the department that runs the program, service, building, or space, contact them. If you don't, you can email info@chapelhillnc.gov or call 919-968-2743.
  • Ask staff at Town facilities. They have information about the location of wheelchair-friendly entrances, parking, and restrooms. They also have information about programs, services, and resources for people with disabilities in that building or department.
  • Contact the ADA Coordinator. Wade Gulledge is our ADA Coordinator. You can email him at wgulledge@chapelhillnc.gov or call him at 919-969-5118.

When Your Needs Aren't Met

If you feel that we haven't met your needs or the needs of someone you assist, you can submit a grievance. Find the instructions in our ADA policy(PDF, 414KB).

We're Making Progress

We underwent a study to look at our operations and facilities for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance from 2021 to June 2023. The ADA requires the Town, as a public agency, to complete a self-evaluation and create an ADA transition plan. We hired a consultant, Stewart Engineering, to create a plan of what facilities, policies, programs, communications, and services need to be improved to promote accessibility to all community members.

The Transition Plan looked at four categories:

  1. Facilities. Each facility open to the public including buildings, playgrounds, greenways, and parking lots.

  2. Policies. Town policies around accessibility concerns and complaints.

  3. Town communications. How the Town communicates with the community including public meetings, media, and emergency messaging.

  4. Services, Activities and Programs. Town programs from summer camps to book lending to EZ Rider transit.

What was the result?

Stewart Engineering put together all the information on the above categories in a lengthy document, the ADA Transition Plan(PDF, 11MB). We did fairly well on our self-assessment but still have work to do. 

What is next?

We will implement the Transition Plan over the next 3-5 years. Many of the improvements are larger construction projects like rebuilding sidewalks, but others we can do very quickly. 

Questions?

Contact Sarah Poulton (spoulton@chapelhillnc.gov, 919-969-5009) with questions about the Transition Plan and Wade Gulledge (wgulledge@chapelhillnc.gov, 919-919-5118) for other ADA-related questions.

 

 

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