Overview

In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (hereinafter the Act), the South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS or Department) will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in the Department's services, programs, activities, or in its hiring and employment practices. Upon request, it will provide appropriate responses for qualified persons with disabilities so they can communicate and participate equally in the Department's programs, services and activities. Appropriate responses include providing alternative communication options.

The Act does not require actions that would fundamentally alter the Department's programs or services or that would impose an undue financial or administrative burden; however, the Department will make reasonable changes to its policies and programs to ensure qualified persons with disabilities have equal opportunity for its services, programs, and activities.

Request for an accommodation should allow for sufficient time to provide it. SCDPS does not surcharge any person or group for the cost of providing appropriate auxiliary aids or services, or for reasonable modifications of its policies.

ADA Public Suggestions, Accommodation Requests, and Inquiries

ADA Accommodations Regarding the South Carolina Department of Public Safety

To make a disability-related suggestion, accommodation request, or inquiry regarding a Department program or service contact the Department's ADA Coordinator, Marcus Gore.

Please note that this contact is only for individuals who have a request related to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety. The Department is a law enforcement agency consisting of the Highway Patrol, State Transport Police, and Bureau of Protective Services. It has no authority over other government agencies or private businesses.

Telephone: (803) 896-7965
TTY: 711                                        
Email: adainformation@scdps.gov
Fax: (803) 896-7967

Mail: South Carolina Department of Public Safety
         Attn: Marcus Gore, ADA Coordinator
         P.O. Box 1993
         Blythewood, SC 29016

Please also provide the following information if you are requesting an accommodation from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety:

• Your contact information, your specific need, and your accommodation suggestions
• Following a review of your request, you will be notified of the result of your communication.

ADA Accommodations Regarding Other Government Agencies

If your concern lies with another governmental agency, you should reach out to that agency's ADA coordinator.

Disability Rights South Carolina 

If you have other concerns regarding the legal rights of people with disabilities, you may contact Disability Rights South Carolina. As the federally authorized Protection and Advocacy System (P&A) for South Carolina they offer many types of services including information and referral, assistance with self-advocacy, legal advice, trainings, and legal support. They can also provide information and technical assistance to family members and professionals advocating for people with disabilities in South Carolina.

https://www.disabilityrightssc.org

Disability Rights South Carolina Help Line - 1(866) 275-7273 or info@disabilityrightssc.org

Alternatively, you may contact the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission (803) 737-7800 or https://schac.sc.gov/contact

Additional Resources

Facility Access

All new construction must be designed to meet the Act's requirements. Any facilities purchased or leased by the Department are reviewed by the South Carolina Department of Administration for compliance with the Act, including accessibility and parking.

Website Accessibility

SCDPS is making every possible effort to ensure that all electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained or used by the Department is accessible to people with disabilities, including both our employees and the public that we serve.

SCDPS has attempted to ensure that this web site is accessible in accordance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Although we continue to test and modify our web sites for accessibility, there may be some legacy pages or pages developed by third-parties that are not fully compliant with those standards. If you, or someone you know, is not able to access any content on this web site due to a disability, please contact the SCDPS Webmaster at webmaster@scdps.gov.

Subgrantee Compliance

The Department's Office of Highway Safety & Justice Programs (OHSJP) administers a number of federal grants. These grants are managed in accordance with federal guidelines which prohibit various types of discrimination, including the Act. For complaints alleging discrimination against the Department's OHSJP or United States Department of Justice funded subgrantees, those complaints will be processed in accordance with SCDPS Policy No. 100.11. Complaints regarding subgrantee compliance should be made in writing to:

Phil Riley, Director
Office of Highway Safety and Justice Programs
South Carolina Department of Public Safety
P.O. Box 1993
Blythewood, SC 29016

Grievance Procedure under the Americans with Disabilities Act

The following Grievance Procedure 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 Department. 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. 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/her designee as soon as possible but no later than 60 calendar days after the alleged violation to:

Telephone: (803) 896-7965
TTY: 711
Email: adainformation@scdps.gov
Fax: (803) 896-7967

Mail: South Carolina Department of Public Safety
         Attn: Marcus Gore, ADA Coordinator
         P.O. Box 1993
         Blythewood, SC 29016

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the complaint, the ADA Coordinator or his/her designee will contact the complainant to discuss the complaint and the possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days of the meeting, the ADA Coordinator or his/her designee will respond in writing, and where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant. The response will explain the position of the Department and offer options for substantive resolution of the complaint if available.

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

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the appeal, the Agency Director or his/her designee will contact the complainant to discuss the complaint and possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days after the meeting, the Director or his/her designee will respond in writing, and, where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, with a final resolution of the complaint.

For issues related to complaints of employment disability discrimination, reference should be made to the Department's Human Resources Department as described in the Employment Section above.

All written complaints received by Department and appeals to the Director or his/her designee, and responses from these two offices will be retained by the Department for at least three years.

Employment

SCDPS will not ask a job applicant about the existence, nature, or severity of a disability, but applicants may be asked about their ability to perform specific job functions. Medical examinations or inquiries may be made, but only after a conditional offer of employment is made and only if required of all applicants for the position. SCDPS may consider reasonable accommodations for the known physical or mental limitations of a qualified applicant or employee with a disability upon request unless the accommodation would cause an undue hardship on the operation of the Department's business. A reasonable accommodation is any change in the workplace (or in the ways things are usually done) to help a person with a disability apply for a job, perform the duties of a job, or enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment. Reasonable accommodations might include, for example, providing a ramp for a wheelchair user or providing a reader or interpreter for a blind or deaf employee or applicant. To the extent its selection criteria for employment decisions have the effect of disqualifying an individual because of disability, those criteria will be job-related and consistent with business necessity.

Complaints regarding employment discrimination should be made in accordance with the Department's Anti-Harassment and Anti-Discrimination Policy (No. 400.32) which describes the manner in which these complaints are made and processed. A copy of the Department's Discrimination Complaint Form can be found here.

SCDPS requires its employees to comply with all requirements of the Act,and trains its hiring managers on the requirements of the Act.