ARISE, Inc.
TITLE VI PROGRAM
82 Court Square
Alexander City, AL 35010
256.329.8444
This document was prepared in accordance with the FTA Circular 4702.1B, dated October 1, 2012.
Title VI Policy Statement
The ARISE, INC. ensures compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 49 CFR, part 21, and related statutes and regulations to the end that no person shall be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Transportation on the grounds of race, color, or national origin.
Title VI Notice to the Public
The ARISE, INC. has developed a Title VI Notice to provide information to the public regarding the ARISE, INC. Title VI obligations and to inform the public of the protections against discrimination afforded to them by Title VI.
The ARISE, INC. has posted the Title VI Notice on the ARISE, INC.’s in public areas of the ARISE, INC.’s office including the receptionist area, and meeting rooms. The notice is also posted in vehicles. The notice is included as Attachment 1.
Title VI Assurances
The ARISE, INC. fulfills this requirement by submitting its annual Title VI assurances as part of its annual Certification and Assurance submission to ALDOT.
Title VI Complaint Procedures
A Title VI complaint may be filed by any individual or individuals who allege they have been subjected to discrimination or adverse impact under any FTA funded program or activity based on race, color, or national origin.
The ARISE, INC. has adopted Title VI complaints procedures for investigating and tracking complaints. The Title VI complaint procedures can be found at the ARISE, INC.’office or Website arisetransportation.org See Attachment 2.
Title VI Complaint Form
The Title VI Complaint Form is included in Attachment 3.
List of Transit-Related Title VI Investigations, Complaints, and Lawsuits
All providers shall maintain a log of Title VI complaints received. The log shall include the date the complaint was filed, a summary of the allegations; the status of the complaint; and actions taken in response to the complaint.
Since the submission of the last Title VI Program information to the ALDOT, there have been no Title VI investigations, complaints, or lawsuits received by the ARISE, INC. related to transit. A copy of the Title VI Investigations, Complaints and Lawsuit Form that will be used if a complaint or lawsuit is filed can be found in Attachment 4.
Public Participation Plan
The ARISE, INC. is committed to a public participation process that will provide for early and continuous opportunities for participation in the transportation decision making process by the Limited English Proficiency (LEP) population. The Public Participation plan provides for an open exchange of information and ideas between the public and transportation decision makers. The ARISE, INC. public participation program is ongoing and reviewed regularly in order to identify, meet and serve the LEP community needs.
In an effort to more fully integrate into community outreach activities, the opinions of minority, low-income and LEP populations, the ARISE, INC. public participation program will:
Continue to coordinate with community-based organizations to identify and implement strategies to reach out to members in the affected minority, low-income, and LEP communities.
Place public notices in the receptionist area and on vehicles
Utilize the media (newspaper, radio, television, etc.) to target the minority, low-income and LEP populations in public involvement efforts.
Provide opportunities for public participation through means other than written communication, such as personal interviews or the use of recording devices to capture oral comments.
Hold public meetings in locations, facilities, and at meeting times that are convenient and accessible to the minority, low-income, and LEP populations.
Develop Title VI brochures in English and make available in other languages as needed.
Make public information available in electronically accessible formats.
Host a table or booth at community event or piggyback an engagement effort onto a regularly-scheduled community meeting.
Develop signs, fliers or other materials to mail or to post and distribute to the general public as requested
Summary of public outreach and involvement activities performed (examples)
ARISE, INC. staff has participated in and supported Community-Based Transportation Programs for disadvantaged communities.
Public Meetings have been held at convenient times and accessible locations for the LEP populations.
Utilized the newspapers for publishing meetings and in newspapers that service minorities.
Staff attends local meetings to identify community needs and participates as a
stakeholder ARISE, INC..
Staff participates in public outreach efforts to explain specific transit proposals and solicit comments. These outreach efforts include interactions at public open houses.
Public notices are in the receptionist area and on vehicles
Title VI brochures have been developed in English. If requested and feasible will be provided in Spanish.
Language Assistance Plan
The Language Assistance Plan uses the Four Factor Analysis to identify Limited
English Proficient (LEP) persons that need language assistance, outline how language assistance is available, and describes how staff considers the needs of LEP persons.
The number or proportion of LEP persons eligible to be served or likely to be encountered by the program or recipient. This population will be program-specific. In addition to the number or proportion of LEP persons served, the recipient’s analysis should, at a minimum, identify:
How LEP persons interact with the recipient’s ARISE, INC.;
Identification of LEP communities, and assessing the number or proportion of LEP persons from each language group to determine the appropriate language services for each language group;
The literacy skills of LEP populations in their native languages, in order to determine whether translation of documents will be an effective practice; and
Whether LEP persons are underserved by the recipient due to language barriers.
The frequency with which LEP persons come into contact with the program. Recipients should survey key program areas and assess major points of contact with the public, such as:
Use of bus service;
Participation in public meetings;
Customer service interactions;
Ridership surveys;
Operator surveys.
The nature and importance of the program, activity, or service provided by the program to people’s lives. Generally speaking, the more important the program, the more frequent the contact and the likelihood that language services will be needed. The provision of public transportation is a vital service, especially for people without access to personal vehicles. Development of a coordinated plan to meet the specific transportation needs of seniors and people with disabilities will often also meet the needs of LEP persons. Transit providers and State must assess their programs, activities and services to ensure they are providing meaningful access to LEP persons. Facilitated meetings with LEP persons are one method to inform the recipient on what the local LEP population considers to be an essential service, as well as the most effective means to provide language assistance.
The resources available to the recipient for LEP outreach, as well as the costs associated with that outreach. Resource and cost issues can often be reduced by technological advances, reasonable business practices, and the sharing of language assistance materials and services among and between recipients, advocacy groups, LEP populations and Federal agencies..
ARISE has considerable flexibility in developing a Language Assistance Plan, or LEP Plan. An LEP Plan shall, at a minimum:
Include the results of the Four Factor Analysis, including a description of the LEP population(s) served;
Describe how the recipient provides language assistance services by language;
Describe how the recipient provides notice to LEP persons about the availability of language assistance;
Describe how the recipient monitors, evaluates and updates the language access plan; and
Describe how the recipient trains employees to provide timely and reasonable language assistance to LEP populations.
Minority Representation on Planning and Advisory Bodies
Minorities include American Indian & Alaska Native, Asian, Black, Hispanic or Latino, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.
The ARISE, INC. will not on the grounds of race, color, or national origin deny a person the opportunity to participate as a member of a planning, advisory, or similar body which is an integral part of the program.
The ARISE, INC. have transit-related, non-elected advisory councils or similar committees that are selected by the ARISE, INC.. ARISE has no control over the persons that represent the organizations and/or businesses.
A copy of a table depicting the racial breakdown of the membership of those committees can be found in
All committees actively recruit and continue to reach out to community groups to find additional diverse individuals to represent Social Services of Tallapoosa County and help provide experience and ideas to better transit services.
Guidance on Determining Site or Location of Facilities (Construction)
The ARISE, INC. have no construction projects scheduled. In the event that the ARISE, INC. decides to acquire land and/or construct facilities the ARISE, INC. shall not make selections with the purpose or effect of excluding persons from, denying them the benefits of, or subjecting them to discrimination under any transit federally funded program based on the grounds of race, color, or national origin. The ARISE, INC. shall comply with all federal requirements including 49 CFR part 21 and FTA Circular 4702.1B and all subsequent provisions.
A copy of the Title VI Construction Project Analysis can be found in Attachment 8.
Attachment 1
Title VI Notice to Public
TITLE VI NOTICE OF PROTECTION AGAINST DISCRIMINATION
ARISE, INC. operates its programs without regard to race, color, and national origin in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Any person who believes she or he has been aggrieved by any unlawful discriminatory practice under Title VI may file a complaint with the ARISE, INC.
For more information on the civil rights program and the procedures to file a complaint, contact us at:
ARISE, INC.
82 Court Square, Suite 102
Alexander City, AL 35010
256.329.8444
A complainant may file a complaint directly with the Federal Transit Administration by filing a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights, Attention: Title VI Program Coordinator, East Building, 5th Floor-TCR, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE, Washington DC 20590
If information is needed in another language, contact
256.329.8444
Attachment 2
Title VI Complaint Procedures
Any person who believes she or he has been discriminated against on the basis of race, color, or national origin by the ARISE, INC. may file a Title VI complaint by completing and submitting the ARISE, INC.’s Title VI Complaint Form. The ARISE, INC. investigates complaints received no more than 180 days after the alleged incident. The ARISE, INC. will process complaints that are complete.
Once the complaint is received, the ARISE, INC. will review it to determine if our office has jurisdiction. The complainant will receive an acknowledgement letter informing her/him whether the complaint will be investigated by our office.
The ARISE, INC. has 15 business days to investigate the complaint. If more information is needed to resolve the case, the ARISE, INC. may contact the complainant. The complainant has 15 business days from the date of the letter to send requested information to the investigator assigned to the case. If the investigator is not contacted by the complainant or does not receive the additional information within 15 business days, the ARISE, INC. can administratively close the case. A case can be administratively closed also if the complainant no longer wishes to pursue their case.
In a situation where the complainant is unable or incapable of providing a written complaint, a verbal complaint of discrimination may be made to the ARISE, INC. . Under these circumstances, the complainant will be interviewed and the ARISE, INC. will assist the complainant in converting the verbal allegations to a formal, written complaint.
After the investigator reviews the complaint, she/he will issue one of two letters to the complainant: a closure letter or a letter of finding (LOF). A closure letter summarizes the allegations and states that there was not a Title VI violation and that the case will be closed. An LOF summarizes the allegations and the interviews regarding the alleged incident, and explains whether any disciplinary action, additional training of the staff member or other action will occur. If the complainant wishes to appeal the decision, she/he has 15 days after the date of the letter or the LOF to do so.
If the complainant is not satisfied with actions taken locally or if they demand further action, these unresolved complaints will be referred to Mr. Joe Nix, Alabama Department of Transportation, Modal Programs Bureau, 1100 John Overton Drive, Montgomery, Alabama 36110
A person may also file a complaint directly with the Federal Transit Administration, at FTA Office of Civil Rights, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
**If information is needed in another language, then contact (256) 329-8444.
Attachment 3
Title VI Complaint Form
Attach any written materials or other information that you think is relevant to your complaint.
Signature and date required below
_______________________________________________
Signature Date
Please submit this form in person at the address below, or mail this form to:
Executive Director
ARISE, INC.
82 Court Square, Suite 102
Alexander City, AL 35010