Frequently Asked Questions

Overview

For disability-related accommodations for any session listed in the SERC Professional Development Catalogue, please complete the appropriate section on the team or individual session application. For any other SERC activity or for employment related accommodations, please contact SERC’S ADA Coordinator at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


Notice Under the Americans with Disabilities Act

In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"), the State Education Resource Center (hereinafter “SERC”) will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities.

Employment: SERC does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment practices and complies with all regulations promulgated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under ADA Title I.

Effective Communication: SERC will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities so they can participate equally in SERC’s programs, services, and activities. Such aforementioned aids and services include qualified sign language interpreters, documents in Braille, and other ways of making information and communications accessible to people who have speech, hearing, or vision impairments.

Modifications to Policies and Procedures: SERC 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 SERC’s offices where pets are generally prohibited.

Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a SERC prog/ram, service, or activity should contact SERC's ADA Coordinator, SERC ADA Coordinator, by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event. SERC encourages individuals to submit requests for auxiliary aids or services for effective communication, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a SERC program, service, or activity, particularly for qualified sign language interpreters, as soon as the need is known and at least two weeks before the scheduled SERC activity. If you are registering electronically for a SERC professional development activity, you may indicate the need for a disability-related accommodation in the appropriate place on SERC’s electronic registration form and the request will be forwarded to the ADA Coordinator or her designee.

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

Complaints that a SERC program, service, or activity is not accessible to persons with disabilities should be directed to: SERC ADA Coordinator, 175 Union St, Waterbury, CT 06706, or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

SERC will not place a surcharge on a particular individual with a disability or any group of individualswith disabilities to cover the cost of providing auxiliary aids/services or reasonable modifications ofpolicy (such as retrieving items from locations that are open to the public but are not accessible topersons who use wheelchairs).


State Education Resource Center (SERC) Americans with Disabilities Act Grievance Procedure

This Grievance Procedure is established to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (hereinafter "ADA"). It may be used by anyone who wishes to file a complaint alleging discrimination on the basis of disability in the provision of services, activities, programs, or benefits by SERC. SERC’s Personnel Policy governs employment-related complaints of disability discrimination.

The complaint should be in writing and contain information about the alleged discrimination such as: name, address, and phone number of complainant as well as location, date, and description of the problem. Alternative means of filing complaints, such as personal interviews or a tape recording of the complaint will be made available for persons with disabilities upon request.

The complaint should be submitted by the grievant and/or her designee as soon as possible but no later than 60 calendar days after the alleged violation to:

ADA Coordinator
State Education Resource Center (SERC)
25 Industrial Park Road
Middletown, CT 06457

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the complaint, SERC's ADA Coordinator or her designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days of the meeting, SERC's ADA Coordinator will respond in writing (and where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, such as large print, Braille, or audio tape). The response will explain the position of SERC and offer options for substantive resolution of the complaint.

If the response by SERC's ADA Coordinator or her designee does not satisfactorily resolve the issue, the complainant and/or her designee may appeal the decision within 15 calendar days after receipt of the response to the SERC Executive Director (or her designee).

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the appeal, the SERC Executive Director or her designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days after the meeting, the SERC Executive Director or her designee will respond in writing with a final resolution of the complaint in a format accessible to the complainant, where appropriate, with a final resolution of the complaint.

All written complaints received by SERC's ADA Coordinator or her designee, appeals to the SERC Executive Director or her designee, and responses from these two offices will be retained by SERC for at least three years.