The Iowa General Assembly and its agencies provide the following services under the provisions of the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act:
- A. Printed Materials
- Each of the agencies of the Iowa General Assembly will assign an individual staff member within the agency, upon request, to read printed materials aloud.
- Upon request, printed materials of the General Assembly will be provided as soon as reasonably possible in one or more of the following formats:
- Audio cassette tape
- Large Print
- Computer disk in either ASCII or Word Perfect format for conversion to synthetic speech
- Braille, prepared by the Department for the Blind
- B. Internet Documents and Information
- Information on the Iowa General Assembly web site has been formatted to accommodate browser software for the visually impaired, wherever possible. In those instances where information is unable to be interpreted, the Legislative Information Office is prepared to assist any individual requesting assistance by assigning a reader or providing the information in one of the alternate formats listed above for printed materials.
- C. Interpreting Services
- The General Assembly has executed an agreement with the Deaf Services Commission of Iowa of the Department of Human Rights for provision of interpreter services either by the Deaf Services Commission or an interpreter in private practice. The services will be paid for by the respective houses of the General Assembly. Upon request given 48 hours in advance, the General Assembly will provide an interpreter for any session of either house of the General Assembly, any standing or interim committee meeting, and meetings with individual legislators at the State Capitol. It is understood that although meetings, floor debate, and activities may be scheduled for a specific day and time by either house of the General Assembly, those dates and times may be altered by that house without advance notice. To the extent possible, requests for interpreting services will be provided under the revised time schedule.
- D. Assistive Listening Systems
- The General Assembly has purchased and installed FM broadcast infrared assistive listening devices for the Senate and House chambers and galleries. A portable infrared system has been purchased that can be used in committee rooms in either house. The General Assembly has purchased receivers for the Senate and House of Representatives. The receivers will be in the custody of the Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Clerk of the House during the legislative session and the Legislative Information Office during the interim. Individuals wishing to use a receiver must leave a driver's license or credit card with the custodian of the receiver. The driver's license or credit card will be returned upon return of the receiver.
- E. Telephone Access
- A tele-typewriter for the deaf (TTY) is available through the Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Clerk of the House offices. Staff members from these 2 offices will be available to assist any individual desiring to use the device. The telephone numbers of telephones that have access to the device are 515.281.3789 for the Senate and 515.281.8455 for the House of Representatives. A TTY is also available in the Office of Ombudsman.
- F. Physical Access
- The Senate and House lobbies are open to the public and accessible to and functional for persons with physical disabilities and are equipped with speakers which carry the debates. If public meetings are held in either chamber, a chairlift is available in each lobby that accesses the upper lobby areas in each house and these areas are accessible to the respective chambers. Upon request, the rules of the Senate or the House of Representatives may be waived, by the respective house, to allow access to the floor of the Senate or House of Representatives chamber during debate of interest to persons with physical disabilities if those persons are unable to access the galleries and they are not registered lobbyists.
- Senate Committee Room 116 and House Committee Rooms 118 and 19 are accessible to and functional for persons with physical disabilities. Upon request and to the extent possible, a meeting not scheduled for one of these committee rooms will be moved to a committee room that is accessible. Legislative agencies are also able to use meeting rooms of other government agencies that are accessible if they are not otherwise in use. Members of the public who have physical disabilities may convey requests for accessible meeting rooms to the Secretary of the Senate, the Chief Clerk of the House, and to the Legislative Information Office.
- G. Procedure for Complaints
- A person with a disability whose request for assistance within the General Assembly has not been fulfilled to the person's satisfaction may file a complaint of discrimination with the Iowa Legislative Information Office, on a form provided by the Legislative Information Office, within 24 hours of the time of the alleged discrimination. The Legislative Information Office shall transmit the complaint form to the General Assembly Staff Committee. The Staff Committee consists of the Secretary of the Senate, the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives, the Director of the Legislative Service Bureau, and the Director of the Legislative Fiscal Bureau. If the complaint of discrimination involves either the Computer Services Division or the Office of Ombudsman, the General Assembly Staff Committee shall also consist of the Director of the Computer Support Bureau or the Office of Ombudsman, as applicable. The General Assembly Staff Committee shall consider the complaint as soon as practicably possible.
