(Revised April 2003) Section 2.D
Section 2.D -- Extension Council Property
Extension Program Availability and Office Access
In the Memorandum of Understanding between Iowa State University
and each county extension council, it was agreed that the council
would fulfill the responsibilities outlined in the Iowa and Federal
Civil Rights law. Programs are to be made available to the people of
Iowa regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age,
or disability. County offices are subject to periodic audits to
ensure compliance. These audits are called Civil Rights audits.
Every three years the area extension education director completes
a county civil rights audit. Every seven years a federal audit is
done. Contact your AEED for more information or see Section
7.A, Accessibility Policies.
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) went into effect in July
of 1992 with a two year grace period (July 1994). ADA provides that
programs and activities receiving and benefiting from federal
assistance shall not discriminate on the basis of handicap. The
purpose of the law is to assure that persons with disabilities gain
social and economic status by eliminating all forms of
discrimination.
County extension offices must comply with ADA. An overview of the
American Disabilities Act is included below. Special requests for
program materials should be made at least two weeks in advance to the
publishing coordinator, Communication Systems at Iowa State
University Extension. (The ISU Extension Policy for Meeting the
Publication and Video Needs of ADA Clients is included in Section
7.A, Accessibility Policies.
The Americans With Disabilities Act Overview
Overview of Title II of the Americans with
Disabilities Act and Proposal for Making County Extension Offices
Accessible to Persons with Disabilities.
Title II forbids state and local governments from
discrimination on the basis of disability in the full and equal
enjoyment of goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages
and accommodations of any place serving the public.
It requires all public service activities to be carried out in
the most integrated setting that is appropriate to fit the needs
of persons with disabilities.
July 26, 1992, was the date for implementing the rules and
regulations of Title II of the American with Disabilities Act.
Building Accessibility
Both the owner and ISUE are responsible for making county
extension offices accessible to persons with disabilities, unless
the responsibility for making alterations to the building is
designated in the contract. If there is no one designated in the
contract, ISUE still has the responsibility for ensuring that
clientele with disabilities have accessibility to services
provided.
Discrimination because of contractual or other arrangement is
prohibited. ISUE will be held responsible by EEOC to offer the
same opportunities to clientele with disabilities as afforded to
other clientele. The rationale to this provision of the law is
that the owner of the building must make the building accessible
to the person(s) who leases the facility and it is up to the
leasee to make the facility suitable for their own clientele.
Identification of Barriers
The CEED for each county will identify barriers that would
prevent clientele with disabilities from having access to the
building and other services provided to the general public.
The checklist for determining accessibility to county extension
offices in Iowa will be used to make the assessment of barriers
that need to be removed or modified. The CEED should have
completed the checklist by May 30, 1992, and submitted the
findings to the county extension council. The council is
responsible for getting an estimate of the cost necessary to make
the building comply with the standards set forth in the ADA to the
maximum extent feasible.
Specific requirements
1. A surcharge to cover cost of auxiliary aids and barrier
removal cannot be imposed on a disabled person or a group of
individuals with disabilities.
2. Accommodations to permit the use of a service animal by an
individual with a disability must be made.
3. Auxiliary aids and services must be made to accommodate a
person with a disability unless it would cause an undue hardship.
Auxiliary aids and services include the following: Qualified
interpreters, note takers, computer-aided transcription services,
written materials, telephone handset amplifiers, assistive
listening system, telephones compatible with hearing aids, closed
caption decoders, open and closed captioning, telecommunication
devices for deaf persons (TDDs), Braille materials, and large
print material.
If it is determined that the cost would create an undue
hardship, reasonable accommodations must be made to provide
program and service to clientele with disabilities.
Removal of Barriers
Architectural barriers must be removed when such removal can be
easily corrected. Correction measures are:
- Install portable or permanent ramps
- Make curb cuts in sidewalks and entrances
- Reposition telephones
- Reposition shelves
- Rearrange furniture in office
- Widen doors
- Add raised markings on elevator control buttons
- Install grab bars in toilet stalls and raise height of
toilet seats
- Install a full-length bathroom mirror
- Reposition the paper towel dispenser in a rest room
- Create designated accessible parking space
- Install an accessible paper cup dispenser at water
fountain
- Remove high pile, low density carpeting
The county extension council must develop a priority system to
make the building accessible and in compliance with ADA
regulations.
Step I. Provide handicap parking and access to the
building.
Step II. Provide access to those areas where services are
available to the public. This includes adjusting layout of display
racks, rearranging office and providing Braille and raised
character signage, widening doors and providing visual alarms and
installing ramps.
Step III. Provide access to rest room facilities.
All three steps should be used to create a "path of travel"
which would permit persons with physical disabilities a continuous
unobstructed way to enter and exit the building. This path should
also include access to rest rooms, telephones and drinking
fountains.
Reasonable Accommodations
Reasonable accommodations may include providing curb service or
home delivery, retrieving material from inaccessible shelves or
racks or relocating activities to accessible locations.
Undue Hardship
An undue hardship may include the following:
- The nature and cost of the accommodation needed to comply
with the ADA.
- The overall financial resources of ISUE, county extension
council and owner of the building.
- The number of persons employed, the structure and function
of the work force.
- The impact accommodation(s) would have upon the operation
of the office.
Penalties
The same remedies and procedures set forth in the 1964 Civil
Rights Act are applicable to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Some of the remedies are:
- Permanent or temporary injunction
- Cease and decease orders
- Attorney's fees
- An order to alter facilities to make them readily
accessible
- Require providing auxiliary aid or service
- Monetary damages to aggrieved persons
- Civil fines "to vindicate the public interest"
- $50,000 for a first violation and $100,000 for any
subsequent violation(s).
Checklist: for
determining accessibility to county extension offices in
Iowa
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Office/Location
____________________________________
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Contact______________________________________
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Date___________________________________________
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PARKING LOTS
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Minimum of 2 handicapped spaces or 2%
of the total number of spaces, whichever is
greater
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No. of spaces _______
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96" wide with a 54" wide access
aisle
Minimum slope 1:50
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Yes ____ No ____
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Spaces display the "International
Symbol of Accessibility," mounted on pole or wall 5' above
grade
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Yes ____ No ____
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Curb Ramps minimum width 36"
Slope 1:12*
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Yes ____ No ____
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WALKS
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At least one - 48" wide
Slope not to exceed 1 in 20 or 5% gradient
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Yes ____ No ____
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RAMPS *
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Any part of walkway with a slope
exceeding l:20. Maximum slope of ramp no greater than
1:12.
Width minimum 36"
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Yes ____ No ____
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Landings -- Minimum width/as wide as
widest ramp leading to it.
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Yes ____ No ____
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Length minimum 60"
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Yes ____ No ____
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ENTRANCES
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At least one primary entrance will be
accessible and connected by an accessible walk to parking,
public streets or elevator
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Yes ____ No ____
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DOORS
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32" minimum clear width with door
opened 90 degrees and measured from the face of the door to
the face of the door stop
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Yes ____ No ____
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Doors in series - minimum space shall
be 48" plus width of any door swinging into the
space
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Yes ____ No ____
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Thresholds - maximum 1/2"
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Yes ____ No ____
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Sliding doors - maximum 3/4"
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Yes ____ No ____
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Door Hardware - shall have a shape
that is easy to grasp and operate with one hand and does not
require tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist to
operate
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Yes ____ No ____
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STAIRS
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Open riser stairs are not permitted.
Uniform riser heights and tread widths
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Yes ____ No ____
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Handrails - shall be provided at both
sides of stairs and shall extend 12" __ on one side beyond
the top and bottom riser. Diameter of gripping surface shall
be 1-1/4" to 1-1/2" and adjacent to the wall
1-1|2".
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Have ____ Need ____
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RESTROOMS
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Outer doors minimum 36" plus needed
clearance as described for doors in series under
doors
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Yes ____ No ____
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Interior -unobstructed floor space of
5 feet in diameter measured 12" above the floor
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Yes ____ No ____
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Toilet Stall - minimum 42" from the
latch side of the door and any obstruction.
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Yes ____ No ____
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Urinals - At least one shall have an
elongated lip with the basin opening 15"-17" above the
floor
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Yes ____ No ____
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Lavatory - At least one shall be
mounted with a clearance at the bottom of 29" from the
finished floor and height from floor to top not to exceed
34". An unobstructed floor space of 30"x40" will be provided
in front of the lavatory
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Yes ____ No ____
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One set of accessories is mounted no
higher than 48" above the floor
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Yes ____ No ____
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Mirror viewing surface no higher than
40" above the finished floor (if provided).
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Yes ____ No ____
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WATER FOUNTAINS
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Height - between 30" and 36" above the
finished floor.
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Yes ____ No ____
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Controls shall be hand or foot
operated
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Yes ____ No ____
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Clearance approach space at least 30"
deep by 48" wide.
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Yes ____ No ____
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ELEVATORS
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Controls accessible by forward reach
mounted no higher than 48" above the floor. Side reach
mounted no higher than 54" above the floor
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Yes ____ No ____
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SIGNAGE
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If identified as accessible
the "international" symbol shall be
used.
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Yes ____ No ____
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Doors leading to hazardous areas will
be marked by knurling, roughening or an abrasive coating to
the surface of the door hardware
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Yes ____ No ____
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HAZARDS
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Paths of travel
Overhead Clearance - minimum vertical 80".
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Yes ____ No ____
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Clear width 36" - side protrusions
restricted to 4" unless the protrusion's leading edge is at
or below 27" above the finished floor.
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Yes ____ No ____
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* Exceptions allowed • See GSA
Accessibility Standards
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Affirmative Action
Affirmative action includes goals set for program and personnel
that are representative of the population. See
Section 4 -- Office Operations of
this handbook.
"Goals and timetables" shouldn't be confused with "quotas." Goals
and timetables are targets set by government contractors for the
employment of minorities and women, along with time frames for
achieving the targets. Employers are encouraged to make good faith
efforts, but there are no legal penalties if they make good faith
efforts but are unable to meet the goals.
Goals set for program should continue to identify unserved
audiences and document efforts to reach these audiences.
Section 2.D Return
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Federal Occupational Safety and Health Act
(OSHA)
The Iowa Code requires that all employees be employed in a working
environment free from hazards which might cause death or serious
injury. All employees must comply with the standards established by
OSHA. The Iowa Division of Labor is responsible for enforcing OSHA
and conducts periodic inspections to ensure compliance.
For more information about general OSHA code interpretation
contact Lou Mitchell, Environmental Health and Safety, Iowa State
University, 118 Agronomy Lab, Ames, Iowa 50011, Phone: (515)
294-7668.
IOSHA Policies on Hazard Communication, Emergency and
Fire Prevention
County extension districts should establish a hazard communication program,
an emergency, a fire prevention plan, and blood born pathogen unit.
For an example of the Checklist, please refer to Appendix
K.
Section 2.D Return
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Disposing of extension council property
The Extension Council is in charge of the county office. Any
personal property (i.e., office equipment or machines) owned by the
county extension office may be sold or disposed of as the council
sees fit. The council may want to adopt guidelines on acquisition
and/or disposition of such property. At all times disposing of
extension council property must be an open process so that all have
equal opportunity.
Options for disposing of personal property:
Public notification by council of intent to dispose of
property--notice of sale in newspaper or public posting in county
office.
- Sealed bids (statement-right of rejection of any bids)
- Public auction
- Donation
When disposing of property, indicate on equipment inventory,
record action in minutes, update insurance list located in
Section 6.D -- Equipment and Property
Insurance of this handbook.
Section 2.D Return
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Office Space Lease Agreements
It is the responsibility of the extension council to provide and
maintain office space for the county extension office. A sample of
the lease used by Iowa State University and Board of Regents is
provided in Appendix C.
This form may serve as a guideline to facilitate discussion on
developing a lease agreement at the county level.
Section 2.D Return
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Owning Real Estate
If a county extension council is considering options for owning
real estate, the council should contact the area extension education
director and the associate vice provost for field operations.
Section 2.D Return
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Revised April 29, 2003. Content questions? Ask the
experts.
Comments or suggestions? Contact the committee,
(e-mail: ofcguide@iastate.edu)