Administrative Bulletin  Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance (A&F 7)

Date:	05/13/1998
Organization:	Executive Office for Administration and Finance
Referenced Sources:	Americans with Disabilities Act

The purpose of this Administrative Bulletin is to ensure that Agencies understand and carry out their responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA").

Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this Administrative Bulletin is to ensure that Agencies understand and carry out their responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA"). The goal of the Commonwealth’s program is to ensure that state agency employment, programs, activities, and services do not discriminate against people with disabilities. The Massachusetts Office on Disability ("MOD") is the entity responsible for statewide coordination of ADA and related issues, but each state agency is ultimately responsible for its own ADA compliance. The following paragraphs summarize MOD and agency roles and responsibilities.

Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD)

MOD’s mission is to work with state agencies to provide responsible and practical solutions to problems associated with disability by:

• keeping up-to-date with ADA and related federal and state requirements and informing state agency coordinators about practices, policies, interpretations, and changes;
• providing on-going technical assistance to state agencies to address specific concerns or questions;
• providing training to state agencies; and
• coordinating the relationship between state agencies and a consortium of disability agencies including the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, the Developmental Disability Council, the State Office of Affirmative Action, and the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination.

It is MOD’s policy to recommend the least costly viable alternative consistent with legal requirements. The Massachusetts Office on Disability is located at:

1 Ashburton Place, Room 1305, Boston, MA 02108
Telephone: [phone] (V/TTY)
FAX: [phone]
 

State Agencies

State agency heads are responsible for ensuring that their agencies work with MOD to provide responsible and practical solutions to disability issues by:

• appointing a state agency coordinator to work with MOD and notifying MOD of the appointment;
• ensuring that the state agency coordinator is knowledgeable about ADA and related federal and state requirements, and attends relevant training and information sessions;
• implementing the provisions of its completed "Self-Evaluation" concerning its relations with employees and the public;
• reviewing and making the necessary modifications to its physical plant as described in its "Transition Plan";
• contacting MOD for technical assistance to address specific concerns or questions; and
• updating the "Self-Evaluation" and the "Transition Plan" as necessary.

In addition, agency heads may want to refer to the newly published MCAD guidelines entitled "Guidelines: Employment Discrimination On The Basis Of Handicap - Chapter 151B," available at the State House Bookstore and from the Secretary of State.

A&F Secretary Approval and Effective Date

This Bulletin takes effect immediately.

Charles D. Baker
Secretary
Executive Office for Administration and Finance