Notices of Nondiscrimination
Note: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II Americans with Disabilities Act regulations use the word “notice" while Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 refers to “policy" when referring to how to inform the public of the institution's intent to not discriminate. It is not wrong to use either term. However, it is more acceptable to use “notice."
#1 Annual Public Notice of Nondiscrimination
The basis for the annual notice requirement is located on the United States Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights website. Scroll down the lengthy document to Section O – Public Notification. The notice must include program clusters but does not need to reference the Boy Scouts and other youth groups.
Annually, subrecipients of federal vocational funds must publicly notify students, parents, employees, and the general public of the clusters of career and technical education opportunities available regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age. The announcement may be made on the subrecipient's website, in local newspapers, recipient publications and/or other media that reach the general public program beneficiaries, individuals / communities with limited English language proficiency and persons with a disability. A brief summary of program offerings (clusters) and admission criteria should be included in the announcement along with the title, phone number, email and mailing address of the person designated to coordinate Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 compliance activities.
If a recipient's service area contains a community of national origin minority persons with limited English-language proficiency, public notification materials must be disseminated to that community in its language and must state that recipients will take steps to assure that the lack of English-language proficiency will not be a barrier to admission and participation in career and technical education programs.
Example: The [name of recipient] does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs or activities. Career and technical education program offerings include: health; public safety; childcare; auto body repair; welding; machining; building trades; and graphic arts. Inquiries may be directed to the [name of recipient]'s Title IX Coordinator and the Section 504 Coordinator at 1234 Market Street, Averagetown, PA 56789 or 123-456-7890 or TitleIX@schoolname.edu / SJones504@schoolname.edu
#2 Continuous Notice of Nondiscrimination for All Documents
More information can be found on the United States Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights website.
Example for Secondary Institutions: (Reference to the Boy Scouts and other youth groups should be included; program clusters are not mentioned.) The notice must be prominently placed on the school's website and included in general brochures, internal job postings, job applications, student and employee handbooks, letters to parents, and other publications that reach appropriate persons, union or professional collective bargaining agreements, and application packages.
Example: The [name of recipient] does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs or activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Inquiries may be directed to the [name of recipient]'s Title IX Coordinator and the Section 504 Coordinator at 1234 Market Street, Averagetown, PA 56789 or 123-456-7890 or TitleIX@schoolname.edu / SJones504@schoolname.edu
Note for postsecondary institutions:
The reference to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups does not apply to your institution.
#3 Continuous Notice of Nondiscrimination for Program Brochures
For somewhat limited space such as program brochures no contact information is necessary. This example is suggested: The [name of recipient] does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs or activities.
#4 Continuous Notice of Nondiscrimination for Classified Advertisements
For very limited space in classified advertisements, the abbreviation for Equal Opportunity Employer, “EOE", can be used. (Keep a sample of the newspaper advertisement in your Civil Rights review file).