2023 District of Columbia Code › Title 2 - Government Administration › Chapter 14 - Human Rights › Unit C - Disability Rights Protection › § 2–1431.04. Powers and duties of the Office

§ 2–1431.04. Powers and duties of the Office.
The Office shall:
(1) Coordinate and oversee the District’s ADA Compliance Program;
(2) Provide ongoing training and technical assistance to agency ADA coordinators;
(3) Provide ongoing training, technical assistance and community resource referrals to agencies to ensure that agency employment practices, services and supports, facilities, telecommunications, and general policies and practices are fully accessible to people with disabilities and meet the requirements of the ADA, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the disability rights provisions of the Human Rights Act;
(4) Evaluate the District’s compliance with the ADA, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act], and the disability rights provisions of the Human Rights Act; report any deficiencies to the Office of Human Rights; and make recommendations for addressing deficiencies to the Mayor;
(5) Investigate actions or inactions of agencies in alleged violation of the ADA, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and make referrals to the Office of Human Rights, as appropriate, of any actions or inactions that may violate the Human Rights Act;
(6) Provide information and referral, legal information, and assistance with filing complaints with the Office of Human Rights to individuals who have questions about disability rights or are experiencing obstacles to receiving services;
(7) Provide a full-time Executive Director and other full staff support to the Mayor’s Committee on Persons with Disabilities;
(8)(A) No later than one year after the establishment of the Office, and by January 1 of each year thereafter, submit to the Mayor and Council an Olmstead Compliance Plan.
(B) In developing the Olmstead Compliance Plan, the Office shall work actively with the Mayor’s Committee on Persons with Disabilities and shall endeavor to ensure that all work groups related to the development of the Olmstead Compliance Plan are at a minimum comprised 25% by individuals with disabilities and 25% by advocates or family members;
(9)(A) No later than one year after the establishment of the Office, submit to the Mayor and Council an assessment of the existing resources, including staffing, available to each agency ADA Coordinator.
(B) The assessment shall include recommendations for the percentage of time that the ADA Coordinator at each agency should devote to duties under this unit, and recommendations for any specific agencies which should designate a full-time ADA Coordinator. The Office shall base its recommendations on the following criteria:
(i) The frequency with which the agency works with members of the public who are individuals with disabilities or District employees who are individuals with disabilities;
(ii) The frequency with which the agency interacts with the general public;
(iii) The volume of reasonable accommodation requests processed by the agency;
(iv) The volume of discrimination complaints processed by the agency; and
(v) Any other criteria that the Office believes are relevant and establishes prior to its assessment of agencies, in consultation with the Mayor’s Committee on Persons with Disabilities; and
(10) By January 1 of each year, submit to the Mayor and Council an annual status report on all activities required under this section.
(Mar. 8, 2007, D.C. Law 16-239, § 5, 54 DCR 404.)
Section References
This section is referenced in § 2-1431.02.
References in Text
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, referred to in pars. (3), (4), and (5), is classified as 29 U.S.C. § 794.