Nondiscrimination & Accessibility

Title VI: Equal Opportunity

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the Federal law that protects individuals and groups from discrimination on the basis of their race, color, and national origin in programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance. Because the City of Ridgefield may receive federal financial assistance, the City is required to comply with Title VI.

City of Ridgefield Title VI/Equal Opportunity Policy (PDF)

All Ridgefield residents are entitled to have equal access to the services, benefits and programs of the City of Ridgefield. The city will make every effort to ensure nondiscrimination in all of its programs and activities, whether those programs and activities are federally funded or not.

If you have questions about the Title VI Program, please contact Lee Knottnerus at 360-887-3557 or by email at lee.knottnerus@ridgefieldwa.us.

Nondiscrimination Policy Statement (PDF)

The City of Ridgefield assures that no person shall on the grounds of race, color, national origin, or sex, as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987 (P.L. 100.259) be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity. The Recipient further assures every effort will be made to ensure non-discrimination in all of its programs and activities, whether those programs and activities are federally funded or not.

In the event the City distributes federal aid funds to a sub-recipient, the City will include Title VI language in all written agreements and will monitor for compliance.

The Title VI Coordinator is responsible for initiating and monitoring Title VI activities, preparing reports and other responsibilities as required by 23 Code of Federal Regulation(CFR) 200 and 49 Code of Federal Regulation 21.

Complaint Procedure

If you believe you have been subjected to discrimination or harassment in violation of your civil rights under Title VI, you may file a complete with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

More information about WSDOT's Office of Equal Opportunity, is available by contacting:

WSDOT Office of Equal Opportunity
P.O. Box 47314
Olympia, WA 98504-7314
Phone: 360-705-7090
Fax: 360-705-6801

Additional Information

ADA Compliance

Introduction & Background

The City of Ridgefield is committed to providing equal access to all its public programs, services and activities for citizens with disabilities. This plan will be used to help guide future planning and implementation of necessary accessibility improvements. The City will update the plan periodically and is always seeking public comments on necessary changes and improvements.

Federal Requirements

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires cities with fewer than fifty employees that is a recipient or subrecipient of Federal financial assistance to prepare a self-evaluation and ADA Program Access Plan.

The U.S. Congress signed the ADA in 1990, and it went into effect in 1992. The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in access to jobs, public accommodations, government services and programs, public transportation and telecommunications.

Title I of the ADA prohibits local governments from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities in job application procedures, hiring, employment termination, job promotion, compensation, job training and other terms, conditions and privileges of employment. The City of Ridgefield is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and adheres to the requirements of Title I.

Title II of the ADA adopts the general prohibitions against discrimination contained in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, but applies to all state and local governments regardless of whether or not they receive federal funding. It prohibits the City from denying persons with disabilities the equal opportunity to participate in its services, programs or activities, either directly or indirectly through contractual arrangements.

The administrative requirements contained in Title II that apply to the City are:

  • Designation of an ADA Coordinator responsible for overseeing Title II compliance,
  • Development of an ADA grievance/complaint procedure;
  • Completion of a self-evaluation of facilities, programs and services; and
  • Development of a program access plan if the self-evaluation identifies any accessibility deficiencies.

The City's compliance with these requirements are outlined in its Program Access Plan (PDF).