Accessibility

This website is subject to the requirements of NYS Policy NYS-P08-005, “Accessibility of Web Based Information and Applications” which can be found at: NYS-P08-005 Accessibility of Web Based Information and Applications

New York State Policy NYS P08-005 establishes minimum accessibility requirements for web-based Information and applications developed, procured, maintained or used by state entities. The goal of the policy is to encourage a more inclusive state workforce and increase the availability of governmental services to all members of the public. 

Questions regarding this policy should be directed to the ITS Public Information Office at [email protected] .

Concerns about the accessibility of this website should be reported to:

Dawn LaPointe

DRA/ADA Coordinator

(518) 473-3467

[email protected]

If you require a document in a different file format than we currently provide, please send an email message to [email protected] and we will try to accommodate you.

The Agency’s Designee for Reasonable Accommodations (DRA) and Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator (ADA Coordinator) is identified below. This individual will be able to give you information and forms for requesting reasonable accommodations and for grieving the denial of accommodation requests.

DRA/ADA Coordinator Name: 

Dawn LaPointe

DRA/ADA Coordinator Contact Information: 

Office of Employee Relations

Personnel Office

2 Empire State Plaza, 8th Floor

Albany, New York 12223

(518) 473-3467

[email protected]

Backup DRA/ADA Coordinator Name: 

Nicholas Giuliano

Backup DRA/ADA Coordinator Contact Information: 

Office of Employee Relations

Personnel Office

2 Empire State Plaza, 8th Floor

Albany, New York 12223

(518) 473-3467

[email protected]

In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"), the Office of Employee Relations will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities.

Employment: The Office of Employee Relations does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment practices and complies with all regulations promulgated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under Title I of the ADA.

Effective Communication: The Office of Employee Relations will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities so they can participate equally in Office of Employee Relations programs, services, and activities, including qualified sign language 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: The Office of Employee Relations will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services, and activities. For example, individuals with service animals are welcomed in Office of Employee Relations offices, even where pets are generally prohibited.

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 of Office of Employee Relations should contact the office of Dawn LaPointe at 518-473-3467 or email [email protected] as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event.

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

Complaints that a program, service, or activity of the Office of Employee Relations is not accessible to persons with disabilities should be directed to Dawn LaPointe at 518-473-3467 or email [email protected].

The Office of Employee Relations 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.

This Grievance Procedure is established to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"). It may be used by anyone who wishes to file a complaint alleging discrimination on the basis of disability in the provision of services, activities, programs, or benefits by the Office of Employee Relations. Employment related complaints of disability discrimination are covered elsewhere, in policies available from the human resources office of the Office of Employee Relations.

The complaint should be in writing and contain information about the alleged discrimination such as name, address, phone number of complainant and location, date, and description of the problem. No particular format of the complaint is required. 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 by the grievant and/or his or her designee as soon as possible but no later than 60 calendar days after the alleged violation to:

Dawn LaPointe, Designee of Reasonable Accommodation (DRA)/ADA Coordinator:
Office of Employee Relations, Personnel Office, 2 Empire State Plaza, 8th Floor, Albany, New York 12223

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the complaint, the ADA Coordinator or his or her designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and the possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days of the meeting, the ADA Coordinator or his or her 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 the Office of Employee Relations and offer options for substantive resolution of the complaint.

If the response by the ADA Coordinator or his or her designee does not satisfactorily resolve the issue, the complainant and/or his or her designee may appeal the decision within 15 calendar days after receipt of the response to the agency head or his or her designee or his or her designee.

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the appeal, the agency head or his or her designee or his or her designee will respond in writing, and, where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, with the agency’s final resolution of the complaint, or indicating that the matter has been returned to the ADA Coordinator for further action. If further action is indicated, the complainant will be contacted within 15 days from the written response.

All written complaints received by the ADA Coordinator or his or her designee, appeals to the agency head or his or her designee or his or her designee, and responses from these two offices will be retained by the Office of Employee Relations for at least three years.