Auxiliary Aids and Services

It is Mecklenburg County policy to ensure that program, service, and activity communications with participants having disabilities are as effective as communications with others. To this end, the County will furnish appropriate auxiliary aids and services as necessary to afford an individual with a disability an equal opportunity to participate in, and enjoy the benefits of, any County program, service or activity.

Auxiliary aids and services include: qualified interpreters, note takers, transcription services, written materials, telephone handset amplifiers, assistive listening devices, assistive listening systems, telephones compatible with hearing aids, closed caption decoders, open and closed captioning, telecommunications devices for deaf person (TDDs), video text displays, or other effective methods of making aurally delivered materials alternatively available.

For individuals with visual impairments, Metro may provide: qualified readers, taped texts, audio recordings, Brailled materials, large print materials, or other effective methods of making visually delivered materials alternatively available.

Accessible public communication (auxiliary aid/service) requests must be made in advance to enable time to fulfill the request. 

While the County will make good faith efforts to fulfill all accommodation requests, those relating to public meetings and hearings should be submitted at least one week in advance. Those relating to on-going services and programs should be submitted at least 48 hours in advance.

In determining what type of auxiliary aid or service is necessary, the County will give primary consideration to the requests of the individual with disabilities. Other considerations include whether another effective means of communication is available, if the request results in a fundamental alteration in the service, program, or activity; the request results in undue financial burden.