Accessibility Policy

As taken from the SFPE Standing Rules section D, "ACCESSIBILITY FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES," the Society has the following policy and procedures:

Policy

SFPE will take all reasonable steps to accommodate persons with disabilities who are having difficulty accessing SFPE’s publications, information, training, or other products.  A notice with contact information to submit questions or requests will be included on the webpage. A reasonable accommodation is a change or modification to afford a qualified individual with a disability full enjoyment of SFPE’s programs or activities unless modifications of policies, practices, and procedures would fundamentally alter the nature of the program, service, or activity, or result in undue financial and administrative burdens to SFPE.

Procedures

If you would like reasonable accommodations, please contact the Interim Chief Executive Officer at cjelenewicz@sfpe.org. Individuals may request an accommodation at any time, though some requests – such as requests for sign language interpretation or language assistance – require at least 15 days advance notice. Anyone can request a reasonable accommodation on behalf of an individual who seeks to engage in SFPE’s programs or activities. Once a request for reasonable accommodation is received, the CEO may need to obtain more information about the request to better understand the needs. For this reason, SFPE may take up to 15 business days to review the request to determine:

·        Whether the requested accommodation will be effective in allowing the individual to participate in the activity or program in which they are seeking participation;

·        Whether the requested accommodation is reasonable, or an equally effective alternative to the requested accommodation is available; and

·        Whether providing the individual with the requested accommodation would fundamentally alter the nature of SFPE’s program or impose undue financial or administrative burdens on SFPE.

In addition, in some cases, SFPE may consult with the individual in an interactive process to determine on a case-by-case basis what accommodations can be made. If SFPE determines that the requested accommodation would fundamentally alter the nature of SFPE’s operations or impose an undue financial or administrative burden, SFPE may deny the request. However, in the unlikely event that this occurs, SFPE will work with the individual to identify an alternative accommodation that allows them to effectively participate in the program or activity. SFPE will not request medical documentation after receiving the request for reasonable accommodation, and all questions will be limited to understanding the individual’s ability to participate in the program or activity and the nature of an accommodation that would remove this barrier. The requesting individual will not be responsible for the cost of auxiliary aid or service provided by SFPE. Some examples of reasonable accommodations that SFPE can provide are: arranging for qualified sign language interpreters, providing on-site captioning, or producing alternate formats of print materials in braille, large print, or in electronic format. In the case of accommodations for persons with LEP status, examples might include translation or interpretation services.