Duties to the Public under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The City of Saint Paul will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities. See the City of Saint Paul’s Notice Under the ADA.

Request Access

Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a program, service, or activity of Saint Paul, should complete the Request for Access Form and contact the office of the Title II ADA Coordinator as soon as possible, but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event. 

ADA Grievances

If you have a complaint that a program, service, or activity of Saint Paul is not accessible to persons with disabilities, please fill out a Grievance Form to submit to the ADA Coordinator.

Examples of issues to report include: 

Physical

  • a lack of wheelchair ramps or damaged ramps within the City of Saint Paul
  • inaccessible entrances to City of Saint Paul facilities 

Program & service issues

  • Being denied City of Saint Paul benefits or services because of a disability
  • Having an accommodation request denied to participate in a City of Saint Paul program

Communication

  • An American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter not being provided at a public City of Saint Paul meeting upon request
  • Forms and information provided by the City of Saint Paul not being provided in an alternative accessible format upon request 

The city's Grievance Procedure is available online for your review.

Equal Access to Programs, Services, and Activities

Consistent with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”), the City of Saint Paul will not discriminate on the basis of disability against a qualified individual in its services, programs, or activities.

Effective Communication

Saint Paul will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities so they can participate equally in the programs, services, and activities of Saint Paul.

Such appropriate aids and services include: 

  • qualified American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters
  • documents in braille
  • and other ways of making information and communications accessible to people who have speech, hearing, or vision impairments.

Modification to Policies and Procedures

Saint Paul will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services, and activities. For example, individuals with service animals are welcomed in Saint Paul offices, even where pets are generally prohibited. 

The ADA does not require Saint Paul to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or services, or impose an undue financial or administrative burden. 

Saint Paul will not place a surcharge on a particular individual with a disability or any group of individuals with disabilities to cover the cost of providing auxiliary aids/services or reasonable modifications of policy, such as retrieving items from locations that are open to the public, but are not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs.

Accessible Emergency Services

The Saint Paul Mayor's Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities and the Ramsey County Emergency Communications Center developed the Residential Emergency Response Information Form to allow residents with disabilities to provide information to emergency responders in the event of an emergency. The Emergency Form may reduce emergency response time in emergencies affecting people with disabilities. 

Last Edited: February 21, 2024