Who Is Your Municipality's ADA Coordinator?

Imagine arriving at a municipal office only to find steps at the entrance and no accessible way in. Or trying to attend a public meeting without the communication support you need. Perhaps you have encountered a blocked sidewalk, need a document in an accessible format, or want to file a complaint.

You ask at the front desk, “Who handles ADA matters here?”

No one seems to know. You are sent from one office to another, given different answers, and left unsure whom to contact. For someone seeking access to a public service, that confusion is another barrier.

What does the ADA require of municipalities?

Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits disability discrimination in the programs, services, and activities of state and local governments. It applies to every municipality, regardless of size.

Access goes well beyond the front door of city hall. Depending on the services and facilities a municipality provides or controls, Title II can affect municipal buildings, parks, public meetings, emergency services, sidewalks and curb ramps, permitting, communication with the public, and digital services. People with disabilities must have an equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from those services. The U.S. Department of Justice explains the scope of Title II here.

When a person encounters a barrier, they need a clear way to ask for help. That is one reason the ADA coordinator matters.

What is an ADA coordinator?

A public entity with 50 or more employees must designate at least one employee to coordinate its efforts to comply with Title II. This person is commonly called the ADA coordinator, although the regulation does not require that job title.

The entity must make the designated employee’s name, office address, and telephone number available to interested people. It must also adopt and publish a procedure for the prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging violations of Title II. These requirements appear in 28 CFR § 35.107.

The regulation does not prescribe one particular place to post the contact information. The practical point is simple: people should be able to obtain it without being passed from office to office.

What does this person do?

The coordinator connects a person’s concern with the parts of government that can address it. Their central responsibility under the regulation is to coordinate the entity’s Title II compliance efforts, including the investigation of complaints.

In practice, that can mean helping someone find out how to request a sign language interpreter for a public meeting, an accessible document, or a change to a policy that prevents participation. It can also mean working with Public Works on a sidewalk concern, Recreation on access to a program, or Technology on a digital service. The coordinator does not personally repair every barrier; they help ensure that the issue reaches the right people and receives a coordinated response.

This role can also support the municipality’s work to identify barriers and improve access across its programs. Under Title II, public entities were required to review their services, policies, and practices through a self-evaluation. The Department of Justice encourages entities to revisit that work as their programs and facilities change. A coordinator can help organize that effort, but appointing one person does not transfer the municipality’s responsibilities to that individual. See the Department of Justice’s Title II primer.

A title alone is not enough

Naming an ADA coordinator does little for the public if front desk staff cannot identify that person or explain how to reach them. The position needs enough support and access to municipal departments to coordinate a response.

Title II does not specify a professional certification for the designated employee. What matters is whether the municipality has given that person the knowledge, authority, and institutional support to carry out the role—and whether the public can reach them. The coordinator helps organize compliance; the municipality remains responsible for its services and its employees’ actions. The Department of Justice explains the purpose of the designation in its regulation.

What if a municipality has fewer than 50 employees?

The 50-employee threshold applies to the specific requirement to designate a coordinator and adopt and publish a Title II grievance procedure. A smaller municipality is still covered by Title II. It must provide people with disabilities an equal opportunity to access its programs, services, and activities, and it must make information about Title II protections available to interested people. See 28 CFR §§ 35.106–35.107.

If a municipality is not required to appoint a coordinator, residents can still ask whom to contact about an access issue and how the municipality will respond.

What can you ask your municipality?

You do not need to know the regulation by heart. These questions can help you find a clear path forward:

1. Who is designated to coordinate ADA compliance, if the municipality is required to make that designation?

2. What are that person’s name, office address, and telephone number?

3. Where can I find the municipality’s ADA grievance procedure, if one is required?

4. Where can I find information about my rights under Title II and how they apply to municipal services?

5. How do I request an accommodation, an accessible format, or help communicating with a municipal office?

These should not be questions only an insider can answer.

Clear information is part of access

When someone cannot enter a building, take part in a meeting, or understand a municipal document, knowing whom to contact is a practical first step. If the information exists but no one can find it—or if every office gives a different answer—the municipality has made that step harder than it needs to be.

An ADA coordinator is more than a name on a page. The role helps connect the public’s concerns to the people who can investigate them and coordinate a response. Making that connection visible helps people exercise their rights and participate in public life.

Ask your municipality: Who coordinates ADA compliance here, and how can the public reach that person? Tell me what answer you receive in the comments.

Sources for publication: U.S. Department of Justice, State and Local Governments; Title II regulations, 28 CFR §§ 35.105–35.107; ADA Update: A Primer for State and Local Governments.