Accessibility

The State of California's website has been developed in compliance with California Government Code Sections 7405 and 11135, and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0, or a subsequent version.

The Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) aims to ensure an inclusive web experience for all visitors, recognizing the diverse range of physical and cognitive disabilities that can affect user interaction. Vision loss, hearing loss, limited manual dexterity, and Dyslexia are just a few examples of such disabilities, each requiring different methods to effectively access electronic information.

HCD remains committed to proactively addressing accessibility concerns pertaining to website content and documents, taking affirmative steps to ensure compliance. This includes ongoing endeavors to convert historical documents into accessible formats. If any document or information on HCD's website is presently inaccessible, alternative accessible formats can be provided upon request. To request specific documents or information, contact us and specify your preferred format. It is important to note, however, that HCD cannot assume responsibility for the content or accessibility of external websites or documents linked on this website.

Web Accessibility Certification

Website Accessibility Features

We have implemented a range of technology solutions to enhance the user experience of our website, ensuring easier navigation, faster loading times, and improved accessibility. Here are some of the notable solutions we have integrated:

Style Sheets

The website utilizes responsive Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to ensure consistent layouts and a contemporary design that facilitates seamless user interaction across various browsers and devices. In terms of accessibility, CSS is meticulously maintained to align with the WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. This includes, but is not limited to, considerations such as color contrast, responsiveness of content, and navigability of the website's elements.

Accessible Images & Infographics

All images, graphics, and photographs on the HCD website include an alternative text “ALT” and/or “TITLE” attributes. However, to be truly inclusive, many former images of charts and infographics have been recreated and styled on the HCD website as accessible content rather than an image with a long alternative text, allowing screen readers to tab through the content instead of reading the entire description.

Breadcrumb Navigation

Located directly below the main navigation towards the top of the website, the breadcrumbs provide a trail of where you’re at and where you have been. Breadcrumbs make it easier and quicker to navigate your way back to the root folder.

WCAG 2.0 Level AA

The HCD website adheres to WCAG 2.0 AA Guidelines and Success Criteria organized under the following 4 principles:

Perceivable

Provide text alternatives for non-text content and captions and other alternatives for multimedia. Create content that can be presented in different ways, including by assistive technologies, without losing meaning, making it easier for users to see and hear content.

Operable

Make all functionality available from a keyboard. Give users enough time to read and use content. Do not use content that causes seizures. Help users navigate and find content.

Understandable

Make text readable and understandable. Make content appear and operate in predictable. Help users avoid and correct mistakes.

Robust

Maximize compatibility with current and future user tools.

Grievance Procedures

The Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) upholds a policy that strictly prohibits discrimination based on disability.

  • The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Grievance Procedure has been established to facilitate 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 HCD.
  • The Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) Grievance Procedure has been adopted to facilitate anyone who wishes to file a complaint alleging discrimination on the basis of disability in any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), HCD will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities.

  • Employment: HCD does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment practices and complies with all regulations promulgated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under title II of the ADA.
  • Effective Communication: HCD will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities so they can participate equally in HCD's 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: HCD 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.

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 HCD, should contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Office as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event. The ADA does not require the HCD to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or services, or impose an undue financial or administrative burden.

Complaints that a program, service, or activity of HCD is not accessible to persons with disabilities should be directed to the Equal Employment Opportunity Office or ADA Coordinator.

HCD 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 Procedure

This Grievance Procedure is established to meet the requirements of the 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 HCD. The HCD Director's Policy - Equal Employment Opportunity governs employment-related complaints of disability discrimination.

The complaint should be in writing and contain information about the alleged discrimination such as name, address, phone number of complainant and location, date, and description of the problem. Alternative means of filing complaints, such as personal interviews or an audio recording of the complaint, will be made available for persons with disabilities upon request.

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

ADA Coordinator

Contact: Jenny Geminder, Public Accommodation Coordinator

Email: EEO-Office@hcd.ca.gov

Address: 2020 W. El Camino Ave., Suite 500, Sacramento, CA 95833

Tel: (916) 776-7733

Fax: (916) 263-4698

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the complaint, the ADA Coordinator or designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and the possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days of the meeting the ADA Coordinator or designee will respond in writing, and where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, such as large print, Braille, or audio recording. The response will explain the position of the HCD and offer options for substantive resolution of the complaint.

If the response by the ADA Coordinator or designee does not satisfactorily resolve the issue, the complainant and/or his/her designee may appeal the decision within 15 calendar days after receipt of the response to the HCD's Chief Deputy Director or designee.

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the appeal, the HCD's Chief Deputy Director or designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days after the meeting, the HCD's Chief Deputy Director or designee will respond in writing, and, where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, with a final resolution of the complaint.

All written complaints received by the ADA Coordinator or designee, appeals to the HCD's Chief Deputy Director or designee, and responses from these two offices will be retained by the HCD for at least three years.

It is the policy of HCD not to discriminate on the basis of disability. HCD has adopted an internal grievance procedure providing for prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging any action prohibited by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794). Section 504 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. The Law and Regulations may be examined in the office of HCD’s Section 504 Coordinator, who has been designated to coordinate HCD’s efforts to comply with Section 504.

Section 504 Coordinator

Contact: Jenny Geminder, Section 504 Coordinator

Email: EEO-Office@hcd.ca.gov

Address: 2020 W. El Camino Ave., Suite 500, Sacramento, CA 95833

Tel: (916) 776-7733

Fax: (916) 263-4698

Any person who believes they have been subjected to discrimination on the basis of disability may file a grievance under this procedure. It is against the law for HCD to retaliate against anyone who files a grievance or cooperates in the investigation of a grievance.

Section 504 Grievance Procedure

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of complaint, the 504 Coordinator or designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and the possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days of the meeting the 504 Coordinator or designee will respond in writing, and where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complaint, such as large print, Braille, or audio recording. The response will explain the position of the HCD and offer options for substantive resolution of the complaint.

If the response by the 504 Coordinator or designee does not satisfactorily resolve the issue, the complainant and/or his/her designee may appeal the decision within 15 calendar days after receipt of the response to the HCD's Chief Deputy Director or designee.

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the appeal, the HCD's Chief Deputy Director or designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days after the meeting, the HCD's Chief Deputy Director or designee will respond in writing, and, where appropriate, in a format accessible to t he complainant, with a final resolution of the complaint.

All written complaints received by the 504 Coordinator or designee, appeals to the HCD's Chief Deputy Director or designee, and responses from these two offices will be retained by the HCD for at least three years.

HCD will make appropriate arrangements to ensure that disabled persons are provided other accommodations, if needed, to participate in this grievance process. Such arrangements may include, but are not limited to, providing interpreters for the deaf, providing audio recordings of material for the blind, or assuring a barrier-free location for the proceedings. The Section 504 Coordinator will be responsible for such arrangements.