Nondiscrimination & Accessibility

This grievance procedure is established to meet the requirements of the 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 City of Waco.

The complaint should be submitted in writing as soon as possible, preferably within 60 calendar days of the alleged violation to and should contain the following information:

• Name of the person making the report of discrimination
• Contact information including address, phone number, and email of the person making the report
• A description of the alleged discrimination including the date and location of the incident and, if applicable, the names of witnesses or City staff involved, if known.

Submit complaints to:
Lhea Homesley, ADA Coordinator
Preferred Method: Discrimination Grievance/Complaint Form
Email: lheah@wacotx.gov
Mail: City of Waco
PO Box 2570
Waco, TX 76702-2570
Attn: ADA Coordinator

Alternative means of filing complaints, such as personal interviews, will be made available for persons with disabilities upon request by contacting the ADA Coordinator.

The individual who submitted the report will be notified once it has been received. The ADA Coordinator, or another authorized representative, will then contact the reporting individual to review the allegations, investigate the concerns, and issue a written response within 45 calendar days.

If the individual is not satisfied with the City’s response, they may file an appeal with the City Manager or their designee. Upon receiving the appeal, the City Manager or designee will reach out to the individual to discuss possible resolutions and will provide a written response outlining the final decision.

If the response by the ADA Coordinator does not satisfactorily resolve the issue, the person who filed the complaint may appeal the decision within 15 calendar days after receipt of the response to the City Manager or their designee.

All written complaints received by the ADA Coordinator, appeals to the City Manager or their designee, and responses from these two offices will be retained by the City of Waco in accordance with the Texas Local Government Retention Schedule.

The City of Waco is committed to assuring nondiscrimination in its programs and activities. No person shall on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, or income status be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination or retaliation under any federally or non-federally funded program or activity administered by the City of Waco or its contractors.

Title VI Coordinators

Title VI Complaint Procedures

Any person who believes they have been subjected to any type of discrimination prohibited under Title VI may file a complaint using the online form.

Discrimination Complaint/Grievance Form

For assistance in filing a complaint, contact a Title VI Coordinator above.

The City of Waco is currently undergoing a planning process for conducting a self-evaluation to identify and address accessibility barriers within City facilities, programs, services, and activities. The Self-Evaluation will be used to develop and update the Transition Plan.

Updates will be provided on this page periodically.

Feedback Opportunity
Please contact the ADA Coordinator to provide feedback regarding concerns about the accessibility of City facilities, programs, services, and activities.

ADA Coordinator:
Lhea Homesley
Employee Relations/ADA Coordinator
lheah@wacotx.gov
(254) 750-5693

2019 ADA Transition Plan

The City of Waco is dedicated to making our website accessible for all users. To enhance accessibility for individuals with disabilities, we have implemented several features. Below are some key elements designed to improve the user experience.

We provide descriptive text equivalents for images and non-text elements, assisting users who utilize screen readers to listen to the site's content rather than reading it.

Major reports and special publications available on the website are typically offered in HTML or other accessible formats. When we publish documents in PDF format, we also ensure that an accessible version is available or provide a link for easy conversion to HTML.

The City of Waco is committed to ensuring its website meets the standards set by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These guidelines outline requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. We are actively working towards achieving compliance with WCAG Version 2.1, Level AA.

We continuously strive to ensure that our website is accessible and user-friendly. However, due to the wide range of assistive technologies available, some users may still encounter issues. We appreciate your understanding and encourage you to provide feedback to help us improve and enhance the site's accessibility for users with disabilities.

If you use assistive technology and encounter any issues accessing information on our website, please contact the ADA Coordinator.

To help us assist you better, kindly specify the nature of your accessibility challenge, your preferred format for receiving the material, the web address of the content you requested, and your contact information.

ADA Coordinator:
Lhea Homesley
Employee Relations/ADA Coordinator
lheah@wacotx.gov
(254) 750-5693

Service animals, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, are dogs who have been trained to help an individual with a specific documented disability.

Service animal must always be under the handler's control, using:

• a leash or harness; or
• voice command, if the hander's disability or dog's work task prevents using a leash

A service animal can be removed by a City official if:

• the animal is not housebroken; or
• the animal is out of control and the handler fails to control the animal

Emotional support, comfort, or companion animals are NOT considered service animals.

Please do not allow the public to approach or pet your service animal.

Texas Human Resources Code, Section 121.005 states handlers can be held liable for damage to property or injuries to persons.

Texas Human Resources Code, Section 121.006 states that it is a violation of any person to misrepresent that a dog is a specially trained service animal, when training has not been provided.

ADA Coordinator:
Lhea Homesley
Employee Relations/ADA Coordinator
lheah@wacotx.gov
(254) 750-5693

Persons with disabilities who plan to attend public meetings and who may need auxiliary aides or services should contact the ADA Coordinator at least twenty-four (24) hours before the scheduled meeting so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

ADA Coordinator:
Lhea Homesley
Employee Relations/ADA Coordinator
lheah@wacotx.gov
(254) 750-5693