Title VI - LEP - Van Paperwork

Title VI - LEP - Van Paperwork

Table of Contents

Title VI Notice to Public

This notice is posted to inform the public of their rights under Title VI. This notice is posted on the bulletin board in the lobby area of Protection Valley Manor. This notice and complaint form will be available upon request from the office staff of Protection Valley Manor.

Notification of Public of Rights Under Title VI

PROTECTION VALLEY MANOR

  • Protection Valley Manor operates its programs and services without regard to race, color, and national origin in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Any person who believes she or he has been aggrieved by any unlawful discriminatory practice under Title VI may file a complaint with Protection Valley Manor.
  • For more information on Protection Valley Manor’s civil rights program, and the procedures to file a complaint, contact 620-622-4261, email us at pvmanor@unitedwireless.com or visit our facility at 600 South Broadway, Protection, KS 67127.
  • A complainant may file a complaint directly with the Federal Transit Administration by filing a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights, Attention: Title VI Program Coordinator, East Building, 5th Floor-TCR, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE, Washington, DC 20590.
  • If information is needed in another language, contact 620-622-4261. Si se necesita información en un idioma diferente, comuníquese al 620-622-4261.

Transit Public Participation Plan Outline

Brief description of provider’s activities and services

Protection Valley Manor provides care and services to the elderly and disabled residents of the facility and community.

Brief description of activities that would warrant public participation (i.e. fare changes, changes to service hours, route adjustments, service area changes)

Protection Valley Manor is a 501 (c) (3) organization providing care and services to the elderly and disabled. Public involvement for van services is limited to special circumstances where handicapped accessible transportation is needed for out-of-town physician appointments or medical testing. Protection Valley Manor does not set rates or charges for transportation costs.

Brief description of the proactive public participation strategies that would be used

The community of Protection has a population of 500 residents. Public participation in developing strategies is not used in the normal scope of operations for transportation. If public participation would be needed to develop strategies, we would advertise in the local paper, at the local post office, and other public buildings, provide public hearings and meetings, and form committees to determine community needs and feasibility of projects.

Brief description of outreach methods to engage minority and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) individuals

In the City of Protection, 95% are English-speaking residents and 5% Spanish speakers, and 4% of the Spanish-speaking residents are bilingual or have family members who speak both languages. Because of the wide range of English-speaking individuals, many are proficient in speaking the Spanish language. Medical trips for LEP individuals are often accompanied by a translator or a person who is proficient in Spanish provided by the facility.

Brief description of the desired outcomes of the agency’s public participation efforts

Protection Valley Manor provides the public with an opportunity to participate in the improvement of services offered to the community through active participation and involvement.

In general, desired outcomes could include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The facility desires to have actively engaged riders, stakeholders, and members of the general public in the decision-making process.
  • The facility strives to have given adequate public notice of public participation activities and allowed proper time for public review and comment at key decision points.
  • The facility desires to provide timely information about transportation issues and processes to riders, stakeholders, and members of the general public.
  • The facility will provide responses to all public input as appropriate.
  • The facility will have facilitated effective communication among a diverse group of stakeholders.
  • The facility will have established a timetable for review of the Public Participation Process to ensure it provides full and open access to all.

Brief summary of recent outreach efforts over the past three years

Public participation opportunities in the past three (3) years have allowed Protection Valley Manor to acquire a three (3) wheelchair handicapped accessible van to transport elderly and disabled persons more comfortably and safely.

Menu of Public Participation Strategies

  • Public hearings/meetings/workshops where meetings are held at convenient times and at accessible locations.
  • Utilize different meeting sizes and formats.
  • Utilize a variety of advertising platforms (i.e. newspaper, notices on board vehicles, social media, website, local cable television).
  • Maintain a database of contacts to include at a minimum the following: members of the public, elected officials, local government staff, KDOT Public Transit staff, local media.
  • When feasible, electronically send and/or mail meeting announcements (invitations) to groups likely to be interested in the facility’s activities as well as those included in the database.
  • Employ visualization techniques when possible to depict the facility’s activities/materials to the public (i.e. charts, graphs, photo interpretation, maps, use of GIS, artist’s renderings, physical models).
  • Display ads, brochures, and fact sheets.
  • Neighborhood meetings and newsletters.
  • Direct mailings and or emails are used to announce upcoming meetings or activities or to provide information to specifically targeted areas, groups of people, and advocacy groups.
  • Local newspaper articles, advertisements, and public notices.
  • Avoidance of technical jargon in presentations and information displayed.
  • Public opinion surveys to assess widespread public opinion.

Additional Public Participation Resources

Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Plan

Introduction

On August 11, 2000, President Bill Clinton issued Executive Order 13166 “Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency,” (65 FR 50121). The intent of this Executive Order is to improve access to federally conducted and federally assisted programs and activities for persons who are limited in their English proficiency. The purpose of developing an LEP plan, as a recipient of federal funds, is to identify the extent of LEP individuals in the region and identify ways that the transit agency can reduce and/or eliminate the barriers to LEP individuals. The starting point for developing this plan is to perform a four-factor analysis to determine the individualized needs of the region. After these needs are identified, the transit agency should develop a language assistance plan addressing the mix of services that will be provided.

Four Factor Analysis

  1. Identify number of or proportion of LEP individuals that can utilize the service provided: Comanche County Demographics based on 2020 American Community Survey Data:
    • Total: 1,703
    • Speak only English: 1,646
    • Spanish: 55
    • Speak English "very well": 52
    • Speak English less than "very well": 3

    Most households have no LEP individuals who would require transportation services.

  2. Identify the frequency in which LEP individuals come in contact with the service: Our transportation services will very seldom come in contact with LEP individuals.
  3. Identify the importance of the service to the LEP community: Having a handicapped accessible van available for the community is a necessary service.
  4. Identify the resources available and the respective costs of these resources: Assisting LEP individuals in our community with transportation services is limited, and providing these services would have minimal cost associated with providing this service.

Limited English Proficiency Plan

Utilizing the information gathered from the Four Factor Analysis, the following plan is developed in order to provide the necessary assistance to LEP persons.

Identified LEP individuals

At this time, there are no LEP individuals requiring written translation.

Language Assistance Measures

If translation becomes necessary, we will use staff that are bilingual, cell phone apps for translating, or local language services, translated documents, Braille services, or sign language interpreters.

Training Staff

Staff will be trained in assisting LEP individuals with resources available as needed.

Providing Notice

This LEP plan will be posted on the facility bulletin board. The LEP plan will be provided to any person or agency requesting a copy. The person to contact regarding the LEP plan is the facility Administrator or the Office Manager, reachable by telephone at 620-622-4261.

If a complaint is to be filed by an LEP individual, please utilize the Title VI Complaint Procedures.

Monitoring and Updating LEP Plan

At a minimum, our facility will update the LEP plan according to the Title VI update schedule, which is every three (3) years. The plan will also be updated anytime changes in the demographics of the facility's service area are deemed significant in regards to LEP persons.

Title VI Complaint Procedure

The following pertains only to Title VI complaints regarding the services of Protection Valley Manor.

Title VI, 42 U.S.C. §2000d et seq., was enacted as part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. At the heart of the regulation is the statement that:

No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

Protection Valley Manor has in place a Title VI Complaint Procedure, which outlines a process for local disposition of Title VI complaints and is consistent with guidelines found in Chapter III of the Federal Transit Administration Circular 4702.1B, dated October 1, 2012. If you believe that Protection Valley Manor’s federally funded programs have discriminated your civil rights on the basis of race, color, or national origin, you may file a written complaint by following the procedure outlined below:

1. Submission of Complaint

Any person who feels that he or she, individually or as a member of any class of persons, on the basis of race, color, or national origin has been excluded from or denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination caused by Protection Valley Manor, may file a written complaint with Protection Valley Manor’s Administrator or Office Manager. A sample complaint form is available in hard copy at the offices of Protection Valley Manor. Upon request, Protection Valley Manor will mail the complaint form. Such complaints must be filed within 180 calendar days after the date the discrimination occurred.

Notes: Assistance in the preparation of any complaints will be provided to a person or persons upon request and as appropriate. If information is needed in another language, then contact Administrator at 620-622-4261.

Complaints should be mailed to or submitted by hand to:

PROTECTION VALLEY MANOR
P.O. BOX 448, 600 S. BROADWAY
PROTECTION, KS 67127

2. Referral to Review Officer

Upon receipt of the complaint, the Administrator or Office Manager shall appoint one or more staff review officers, as appropriate, to evaluate and investigate the complaint. If necessary, the Complainant shall meet with the staff review officer(s) to further explain his or her complaint. The staff review officer(s) shall complete their review no later than 45 calendar days after the date the facility received the complaint. If more time is required, the Administrator or Office Manager shall notify the Complainant of the estimated timeframe for completing the review. Upon completion of the review, the staff review officer(s) shall make a recommendation regarding the merit of the complaint and whether remedial actions are available to provide redress. Additionally, the staff review officer(s) may recommend improvements to Protection Valley Manor’s processes relative to Title VI, as appropriate. The staff review officer(s) shall forward their recommendations to the Administrator or Office Manager for concurrence. If the Administrator or Office Manager concurs, he or she shall issue Protection Valley Manor’s written response to the Complainant. This final report should include a summary of the investigation, all findings with recommendations, and corrective measures where appropriate.

Note: Upon receipt of a complaint, Protection Valley Manor shall forward a copy of this complaint and the resulting written response to the appropriate KDOT and FTA-Region 7 contacts.

3. Request for Reconsideration

If the Complainant disagrees with the Administrator or Office Manager’s response, he or she may request reconsideration by submitting the request, in writing, to the Administrator or Office Manager within 10 calendar days after receipt of the Administrator or Office Manager’s response. The request for reconsideration shall be sufficiently detailed to contain any items the Complainant feels were not fully understood by the Administrator or Office Manager. The Administrator or Office Manager will notify the Complainant of his or her decision in writing either to accept or reject the request for reconsideration within 10 calendar days. In cases where the facility Administrator or Office Manager agrees to reconsider, the matter shall be returned to the staff review officer(s) to re-evaluate in accordance with Paragraph 2 above.

4. Appeal

If the request for reconsideration is denied, the Complainant may appeal the Administrator or Office Manager’s response by submitting a written appeal to Protection Valley Manor Board of Directors no later than 10 calendar days after receipt of the Administrator or Office Manager‘s written decision rejecting reconsideration. The Protection Valley Manor Board of Directors will then make a determination to either request re-evaluation by the staff review officer(s) or forward the complaint to KDOT for further investigation.

5. Submission of Complaint to the State of Kansas Department of Transportation

If the Complainant is dissatisfied with Protection Valley Manor’s resolution of the complaint, he or she may also submit a written complaint within 180 days after the alleged date of discrimination to the State of Kansas Department of Transportation for further investigation.

KDOT Office of Contract Compliance
Eisenhower State Office Building
700 Southwest Harrison
3rd Floor West
Topeka, KS 66603

Protection Valley Manor Title VI / ADA Complementary Paratransit Complaint Form

The purpose of this form is to assist you in filing a complaint with the Protection Valley Manor. You are not required to use this form; a letter containing the same information will be sufficient.

For questions about Protection Valley Manor Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) complaint procedures or complaint form contact Sandra Cline, ADA Compliance Officer, 620-622-4261 or pvmanor@unitedwireless.com.

Section I:

Name:

Address:

Telephone (Home):

Telephone (Work):

Electronic Mail Address:

Accessible Format Requirements?

  • Large Print
  • Audio Tape
  • TDD
  • Other

Section II:

Are you filing this complaint on your own behalf?

Yes* No

*If you answered "yes" to this question, go to Section III.

If not, please supply the name and relationship of the person for whom you are complaining:

Please explain why you have filed for a third party:

Please confirm that you have obtained the permission of the aggrieved party if you are filing on behalf of a third party.

Yes No

Section III:

I believe the discrimination I experienced was based on (check all that apply):

  • Race
  • Color
  • National Origin
  • Age
  • Disability
  • Other (specify) ______________________

Date of Alleged Discrimination (Month, Day, Year):

Time of Day:

Location:

Witness(es):

Have you previously filed a Title VI complaint with this agency?

Yes No

Section V

Have you filed this complaint with any other Federal, State, or local agency, or with any Federal or State court?

Yes No

If yes, check all that apply:

Section VI

Name of agency complaint is against:

Contact person:

Title:

Telephone number:

You may attach any written materials or other information that you think is relevant to your complaint.

Signature and date required below:

Signature _______________________________________ Date________________________

Please submit this form in person at the address below, or mail this form to:

Protection Valley Manor
600 S Broadway
Protection KS 67127

List of Title VI Investigations, Lawsuits and Complaints

Date Submitted/Filed (Month, Day Year) Summary of Allegation (include basis of complaint: race, color or national origin) Status Resolution/Action Taken
MM/DD/YYYY Summary... Status... Resolution...

Table Depicting Membership of Committees, Councils, Broken Down by Race

Body Caucasian Latino African American Asian American Native American Other
Population within service area 95% 4% 0% 0% 0% 1%
Agency Board of Directors 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%