Thurston County is committed to ensuring that all people have equal access to County services and programs.  If you need information in a different format, to accommodate a disability preventing you from using the information as presented on this Web site, please send your request to the Thurston County Webmaster.

Thurston County's ADA Notice
In accordance with the requirements of title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA") and Washington Law Against Discrimination (“WLAD”), Thurston County will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities. 

Employment: Thurston County does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment practices and complies with all state and federal regulations under title I of the ADA and the WLAD.  

Effective Communication: Thurston County will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities so they can participate equally in Thurston County programs, services, and activities, including 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: Thurston County 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 Thurston County offices, even where pets are generally prohibited. See Thurston County Animal Policy. 

Requests for Reasonable Accommodations: Thurston County will provide reasonable disability accommodations upon request. Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a program, service, or activity of Thurston County, should contact the ADA Coordinator below for the office or department they are working with as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event. When necessary, a person requesting a disability accommodation will be asked to engage in an interactive process to determine effective reasonable accommodations.

The ADA and WLAD do not require Thurston County to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or services, impose an undue financial or administrative burden, nor require the County to provide services for individuals with disabilities that are not typically provided for individuals without disabilities.

Thurston County will not place a surcharge on a particular individual with a disability or any group of individuals with disabilities to cover the cost of providing auxiliary aids/services or reasonable modifications of policy, such as retrieving items from locations that are open to the public but are not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs. 

ADA Grievance Process
The grievance process is established to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. This process may be used by anyone who wishes to file a complaint alleging discrimination on the basis of disability in the provisions of services, activities, programs, or benefits by Thurston County Government. For additional information regarding the grievance process, please refer to the following:

• ADA Complaint Intake Form
• ADA Complaint Grievance Appeal Form
• Grievance Procedure
• Frequently Asked Questions

For grievances involving Superior or District Court, anyone requesting the accommodation may submit an internal grievance to the Court Administrator. If the Court Administrator made the decision on the ADA request is unavailable, then the grievance shall be directed to the Presiding Judge or his or her designee. More information on the Superior Court ADA process can be found on their website here. For District Court, please visit their website. 
 
ADA Contacts for County Departments and Offices:

​General Information

• Washington Relay: 711 or (800) 833-6388
• Courthouse Complex parking map showing disabled parking locations
• Web Site Inquiries - contact the Thurston County Webmaster.
• Mobile assisted listening device available for all locations. 
• All Building sites have signed ADA accessible parking with ramps.
• Most buildings, but not all, have ADA building entrance power assist openers or closers which are low force units for accessibility. Buildings 5 and 6, and Tilley Building A don't have power assist openers.
• Most rest rooms have at least one ADA accessible stall.
• Rest rooms are equipped with ADA accessible accessories such as soap and paper towel dispensers.
• Most rest rooms, but not all, have ADA power assist door openers or they have closers which are low force units for accessibility.
• There are courtrooms in Building 2 with ADA power assist door openers.
• ADA accommodations can be made for jury persons in court rooms as needed.
• All elevators are equipped with hand rails.
• Upon request, assistance will be arranged where accommodations are not available. These are typically handled on a case by case basis at the applicable location.