Justice Department Reaches Settlement Agreement with Texas YMCA

From the U.S. Department of Justice:

The Justice Department reached a settlement agreement today with the Arlington-Mansfield Area YMCA, a local Texas affiliate of the YMCA, to resolve allegations that it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by denying a child the opportunity to participate in a summer day camp program because of his diabetes.  YMCA refused to provide daily insulin injections to the child, which left him unable to attend the summer day camp program.

Under the terms of the two-year agreement, the YMCA will designate an ADA compliance officer who will be responsible for monitoring compliance with the terms of the agreement.  The ADA compliance officer will also be responsible for ensuring that the YMCA updates its application materials and implements the policies and procedures required by the agreement, including a non-discrimination policy.  The YMCA will designate an individual at each branch who is authorized to receive and review requests for reasonable modifications; inform parents and guardians about how to request reasonable modifications; and train its staff on the ADA, including information on diabetes management.  The ADA compliance officer will also review all denials of reasonable modification requests and any decision to exclude a child with a disability from enrollment. 

To find out more about this settlement agreement or the ADA, access the ADA website at www.ada.gov or call the Justice Department's toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514--0383 (TTY).