Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District
Grievance Procedure Under the Americans with Disabilities Act

This grievance procedure is established to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("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 the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District ("the Court"). Employment-related complaints of disability discrimination are governed by the Court's personnel policies.

The complaint should be in writing and contain at least the following information: (1) The name, address, phone number, and email address (if available) of the complainant; (2) a description of the alleged discrimination, including the location, date, time, and description of any incident; and (3) the requested or suggested resolution. Alternative means of filing complaints will be made available for persons with disabilities upon request.

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

Craig Street, Clerk of the Court and ADA Coordinator
Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District
300 S John Q Hammons Pkwy Ste 300
Springfield, MO 65806

Upon receipt of a complaint, the ADA Coordinator or their designee will investigate the complaint. In their discretion, the ADA Coordinator or their designee may request additional information from the complainant, discuss the complaint and possible resolution(s) with the complainant, and/or seek assistance from other sources in responding to the complaint. The complainant's failure to respond to a request for additional information may be deemed an abandonment of the complaint. Within 30 days after receipt of the complaint, the ADA Coordinator or their designee will respond in writing, and, where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant. The response will explain the position of the Court and, if applicable, offer options for resolution of the complaint.

If the response of the ADA Coordinator or their designee does not satisfactorily resolve the complainant's issue, the complainant may appeal the decision to the chief judge of the Court within 15 days after complainant's receipt of the response of the ADA Coordinator or their designee. An appeal should be submitted in writing to the ADA Coordinator, who will forward the appeal to the chief judge. Alternative means of filing an appeal will be made available for persons with disabilities upon request.

On appeal, the chief judge or their designee will review the complaint and the response of the ADA Coordinator or their designee. In their discretion, the chief judge or their designee may request additional information from the complainant, discuss the complaint and possible resolution(s) with the complainant, and/or seek assistance from other sources in responding to the appeal. Within 30 days after receipt of the appeal, the chief judge or their designee will respond in writing, and, where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, with a final resolution of the complaint.

The time frames above shall be strictly observed unless extended by the chief judge of the Court. In the event a time frame is extended, the ADA Coordinator or their designee will notify the complainant of the extension.

All written complaints received by the ADA Coordinator or their designee, appeals to the chief judge or their designee, and responses from these two offices will be retained by the Court for at least three years.