Nondiscrimination Program

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination under any program, activity, or service that it provides.  IEMA will not tolerate intimidation, threats, coercion, or discrimination against any individual or group.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the overarching civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin, in any program, service, or activity that receives federal assistance. Specifically, Title VI assures that “No person in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefit of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal assistance.” Nondiscrimination prohibitions have been further broadened and supplemented by related statutes, regulations, and executive orders.

• Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education or training program receiving federal financial assistance, with a limited number of defined exceptions;
  
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), which forbids discrimination on the basis of an individual's disability by all federal agencies and in all federally funded activities;
  
• The Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, which prohibits discrimination in federally supported activities on the basis of age.
  
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security regulation 6 C.F.R. Part 19, which prohibits discrimination based on religion in social service programs.
  

IEMA’s Nondiscrimination Program takes reasonable steps to ensure access to all services provided by IEMA for all State of Illinois citizens and establishes procedures whereby IEMA will receive and investigate allegations of discrimination.  

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION [English]

NOTICE OF REASONABLE ACCOMODATION [English]

If an individual believes they have suffered from discrimination under an IEMA program, they may contact the IEMA Nondiscrimination Program Coordinator either in writing or verbally to seek informal resolution at ema.nondiscrimination@illinois.gov or (217)524-4722.

If the matter cannot be resolved informally, the following steps will be followed:

• Within 180 days of the alleged discrimination, complainants may submit a written complaint to the NPC.  Complaints shall include the complainant’s name, nature of the complaint, the dates of the alleged discrimination, requested action, and contact information.
  
• The NPC and other Agency personnel as necessary will review the complaint and may solicit additional information from the complainant as needed.  If additional information is requested and not received within 30 days, the case may be closed.  The case may also be closed if the complainant no longer wishes to pursue their case. 
  
• If the complaint is outside the jurisdiction of IEMA, the complainant shall be notified of the name and contact information for the appropriate agency with jurisdiction, if known.
  

If the complaint is within the jurisdiction of IEMA, and an informal resolution was not possible, it will be promptly investigated.  IEMA’s goal is to address complaints within 60 days of receipt, although the time to carefully investigate complaints may be longer depending on the nature of the complaint and complexity of the issue.

The NCP will notify the complainant in writing of the results of the investigation and what actions will be or have been taken in response.