Accessibility standards

Reasonable accommodations

The Wastewater Treatment Division provides for reasonable accommodations and auxiliary aids to persons with disabilities, internally for employees and externally for those requesting them, to participate fully in events, programs and services sponsored by the agency.

When a training or meeting is being scheduled and advertised, the following notice shall be provided to facilitate reasonable accommodations requests.

Training, development, and education

Reasonable accommodation should be provided, as needed, to give employees with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from training(s) necessary to perform their jobs effectively and to advance in employment. Some examples of training-related accommodations may include, and not be limited to, accessible training sites; training materials or handouts in alternate formats (e.g., large print, Braille, audiotape, or electronic format); and sign language interpreters or captioning. Please contact the presenter or disability services with your specific accommodation or auxiliary aid needs as soon as possible and not less than 5 to 7 business days prior to the training or event, to ensure timely review and follow-up before the event.

Open tours and public meetings

Reasonable accommodation should be provided when needed, to ensure those with disabilities who attend an agency-sponsored event have an equal opportunity to participate and benefit from the event, have equal access to the event and information presented and the opportunity of effective communications during agency-sponsored events.

Some examples of event-related accommodations may include, and not be limited to, accessible event locations, informational materials in alternate formats (for example, large print, Braille format handouts, audio tape or electronic formats), American Sign Language or oral interpreters, CART (communication access real-time translation) and video captioning, auxiliary aids, and other appropriate accommodations.

Please contact the presenter to discuss specific accommodation needs as soon as possible and not less than 5 to 7 business days prior to the event. This allows for timely review and follow-up before the event.

Notice under the Americans with Disabilities Act

In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"), the Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities based on disability in its services, programs, or activities.

Employment: WTD does not discriminate on the basis of disability in recruiting for qualified applicants, hiring, or employment practices. We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage applicants with disabilities to apply for open positions that they may be qualified to perform. WTD complies with all regulations promulgated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under Title I of the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Effective communication: WTD will, upon request, provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities, allowing them to participate equally in all WTD programs, services, and activities. These may include qualified sign language, oral and certified deaf interpreters, documents in Braille, and other ways of making information and communications accessible to people who have speech, hearing, or vision impairments.

Modifications to policies and procedures: WTD will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity and equal access to enjoy all its programs, services, and activities. For example, individuals with service animals are welcomed in offices, even where pets are generally prohibited.

Auxiliary aids: Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a program, service, or activity, should contact the office of the ADA Accessibility Program Manager as soon as possible and no less than 5 to 7 business days prior to an event.

The ADA does not require the WTD to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or services or impose an undue financial or administrative burden.

No surcharges added: WTD will not place a surcharge on a particular individual with a disability or any group of individuals with disabilities to cover the cost of providing auxiliary aids/services or reasonable modifications of policy, such as retrieving items from locations that are open to the public, but are not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs.

Grievance Procedure under the ADA

This Grievance Procedure is established to meet the requirements of the ADA and implementing regulations. It may be used by anyone who wishes to file a complaint alleging discrimination, based on disability in the provision of services, activities, programs, or benefits by the WTD. King County's Personnel Policies govern employment-related complaints of disability discrimination.

The complaint should be in writing and contain specific information about the alleged discrimination, such as the name, address, and phone number of the complainant as well as the location, date, and description of the problem. Alternative means of filing complaints, such as personal interviews or a tape recording of the complaint, will be made available for persons with disabilities upon request.

The complaint should be submitted in writing by the grievant and/or their designee as soon as possible, but no later than 30 calendar days after the alleged violation, to the WTD Accessibility Program Manager, Rob Abbot. 

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the complaint, Rob Abbott, or a designee, will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and the possible resolutions. Within 30 calendar days of the meeting, Rob Abbott or his designee will respond in writing, and where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, such as large print, Braille, or audio tape. The response will explain the position of WTD and provide options for substantive resolution of the complaint.

If the response does not satisfactorily resolve the issue, the complainant and/or their designee may appeal the decision within 15 calendar days after receipt of the response to the WTD Director, Kamuron Gurol, or his designee.

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the appeal, the WTD Director, Kamuron Gurol, or his designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days after the meeting, the WTD Director or his designee will respond in writing and, where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, with a final resolution of the complaint.

All written complaints received by Rob Abbott or his designee, appeals to WTD Director Kamuron Gurol or his designee, and responses from these two offices will be retained by the division for at least 3 years.