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71 <br /> <br />The purpose of this study is to evaluate programs, activities, policies, <br />practices and to identify areas of non-compliance with the handicap dis- <br />crimination regulations. An effort is made to recommend structural and <br />nonstructural changes to achieve compliance. <br /> <br />Toward this end, the following actions have been undertaken: * Relevant Personnel Policies have been reviewed. <br /> * Department heads and other relevant staff were interviewed <br /> to determine: <br /> (a) positions that would be suitable for persons with various <br /> disabilities. <br /> (b) problems citizens with various disabilities have accessing <br /> services and suggestions to overcome these barriers. <br /> * Cabarrus County Department of Social Services was contacted. <br /> <br />PERSONNEL POLICIES <br /> <br />A careful review of the existing personnel ordinance demonstrates that <br />Cabarrus County presently has a strong commitment to the elimination of <br />all vestiges of noncompliance with handicapped regulations. <br /> <br />To illustrate, the Recruitment and Employment Section of Personnel <br />Ordinance states that, "applicants with physical handicaps shall be given <br />equal consideration with other applicants for positions in which their <br />physical handicaps do not represent an unreasonable barrier to satisfactory <br />performance of duties". Furthermore, the employee grievance procedure <br />provides a mechanism for complaints regarding physical surrounding. <br /> <br />There are, however, several suggested changes: <br /> <br />The Section of Article V entitled "Recruitment Source" should be <br />amended to include organizations catering to the special needs of <br />handicapped citizens. <br />A tear sheet or control sheet should be substituted in the formal <br />application process for the handicapped questions presently on the <br />application form. This information should be sent to the person <br />designated to be responsible for coordination of efforts to comply <br />with the handicapped discrimination regulations (at this time the <br />Finance Director), who should review to determine if the applicant <br />is impaired and, if so, is the job one that could reasonably be <br />handled by a person with that impairment. <br /> <br />In such cases, final approval to hire should be withheld until the <br />Finance Director determines there has been no discrimination and <br />gives the approval to hire. (This provision shall not apply in <br />situations where other laws or provisions take precedence.) <br />A grievance procedure should be established to provide for prompt and <br />equitable resolution of complaints by persons alleging handicapped <br />discrimination. This would include grievances involving employment <br />policies and practices, as well as availability of services programs <br />and benefits to handicapped persons. In order to avoid the creation <br />of another committee, it is suggested that this responsibility be <br />assigned to the Advisory Personnel Board. It is further recommended <br />that the same grievance procedure used for employees be utilized for <br />this purpose, except that the person designated to be responsible for <br />coordination of efforts to comply with handicapped regulation (Finance <br />Director) be assigned the responsibilities that the Manager has in <br />dealing with employee complaints. <br /> <br />The Cabarrus County Department of Social Services, was contacted <br />as an agency which is in frequent contact with the handicapped <br />community and are aware of their needs. This agency had found no com- <br />plaints from the handicapped community regarding service delivery <br />or access to public buildings of facilities of Cabarrus County. <br /> <br /> POSITION EVALUATION <br /> <br />Each department head was interviewed in order to identify which positions <br />might reasonably be suitable for citizens possessing various visual, <br /> <br /> <br />