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Section 504 Disability Grievance Procedure

It is the policy of the Saint Louis Science Center not to discriminate on the basis of disability. The Saint Louis Science Center has adopted a grievance procedure which provides for prompt and equitable resolution of complaints which allege any action prohibited by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), and applicable state law.

These laws prohibit retaliation against an individual who files a complaint regarding disability discrimination, files a grievance under this procedure, or cooperates in the investigation of such complaint or grievance. In accordance with the disability laws, persons who are qualified individuals with disabilities as defined by law may request reasonable accommodations which afford them equal opportunity to access, use, and/or participate in the programs, activities, and facilities available at the Saint Louis Science Center. Employees requesting reasonable accommodations should contact the Human Resources Department.

The Saint Louis Science Center will provide those reasonable accommodations unless they would present an undue financial or administrative burden or make a fundamental alteration to the nature of the program or activity. If a requested accommodation presents an undue burden or makes a fundamental alteration, the Saint Louis Science Center will attempt to propose alternative solutions and/or accommodations which do not create such hardship or make such alteration. The Saint Louis Science Center will work in good faith with the person requesting the accommodation to determine the availability of an acceptable alternative.

Visitors who wish to request a reasonable accommodation, or who have questions about that process, should contact our Section 504 Coordinator, Terri Edney, by filling out this form, emailing access@slsc.org, or calling 314.286.4699.

Procedure

  • Grievances are to be submitted to the Section 504 Coordinator within 30 days of the date the person filing the grievance becomes aware of the alleged discriminatory action.
  • The grievance is to contain the name, address, phone number and email address of the person filing it, a description of the problem or action alleged to be discriminatory or retaliatory, and the remedy or relief sought.
  • The Section 504 Coordinator (or their designee) shall begin an investigation of the grievance within 30 business days of the grievance receipt. The investigation generally will include interviews of the person who submitted the grievance; relevant individuals referenced in the grievance, and may include additional interviews as appropriate. The person bringing the grievance and the person responding to the grievance may identify additional persons and/or documents they believe would be relevant and helpful to the investigation of the grievance.
  • Absent exceptional circumstances, the Section 504 Coordinator (or their designee) typically will issue a written decision on the grievance no later than 45 days after its filing. The complaining party and responding party will be notified of the decision.
  • The decision of the Section 504 Coordinator (or their designee) may be appealed in writing to Barbara Boyle, Chief Operating and Financial Officer, 5050 Oakland Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 within 15 days of receiving the decision. The appeal is to contain the reasons why the person believes the decision should be changed and state the change(s) sought. Absent exceptional circumstances, the Chief Operating and Financial Officer shall issue a written decision response to the appeal no later than 30 days after its filing.

The Saint Louis Science Center will make arrangements to ensure that people with disabilities are provided other appropriate accommodations, if needed, to participate in the grievance process. Such arrangements will be made by the Section 504 Coordinator.