ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced today that it has issued a 
Dear Colleagues Letter reminding state and local government agencies that they are required by law to designate Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) Coordinators and inviting ADA Coordinators to an informational meeting.
The Dear Colleagues Letter announces that on March 15 at 2 pm, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will be holding a virtual meeting for ADA Coordinators in Virginia in order to provide information on the steps that state and local governmental entities can take to comply with the ADA and provide an opportunity for questions and collaboration.
When Congress passed the ADA, it recognized that discrimination against individuals with disabilities persists in critical areas, including access to public services. Through the ADA, Congress explained that it was issuing a national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities by providing strong and enforceable standards. In support of these goals, the ADA regulations require state and local government agencies with 50 or more employees to designate personnel, who are knowledgeable in how the ADA applies to the agency’s programs, services and activities, to coordinate its efforts to comply with and carry out its responsibilities under the ADA, including investigating any ADA complaints. To ensure that the public and the agency’s employees may easily locate the designated employees, the ADA regulations also require public entities to publish contact information for the ADA Coordinators.
The Dear Colleagues Letter explains that the ADA Coordinator “may serve as the point of contact for individuals with disabilities to request auxiliary aids and services, policy modifications, and other accommodations in order to participate in the services, programs, or activities of the public entity.” The Dear Colleagues Letter also includes links to numerous Department of Justice publications that provide detailed discussions of the ADA’s requirements, including publications on ADA.gov: “ADA Update: A Primer for State and Local Governments,” “Accessibility of State and Local Government Websites to People with Disabilities,” “ADA Requirements: Effective Communication,” “ADA Checklist for Polling Places.”
The United States Attorney’s Office, through its Civil Rights Enforcement (“CRE”) Unit, and in partnership with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, works to uphold the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans, particularly some of the most vulnerable members of our society. This office vigorously enforces a variety of federal statutes that prohibit discrimination, including the ADA, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974. The CRE Unit also enforces the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, which protect military members as they enter and return from active duty.
For more information on the ADA, visit http://www.ada.gov or call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
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