Other (Camps, Businesses open to the public, Private Schools, etc.)
If you have experienced discrimination because of your T1D by a State or local government, or a place of public accommodation (including private schools that do not accept federal funds, restaurants, doctors offices, camps, retail stores, hotels, etc.) you are still protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you believe that you or another person has been discriminated against by an entity covered by the ADA, you may file an Americans with Disabilities Act complaint with the United States Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. This is a great resource since filing an ADA complaint with the DOJ is completely free, and all complaints are investigated by attorneys and investigators in the Unites States Attorney’s Office, who, as with all of the agencies listed above, have much greater resources at their disposal.
Once a complaint is filed, the DOJ will do one of the following: (1) contact you for additional information or copies of relevant documents; (2) refer your complaint for possible resolution through the ADA Mediation Program; (3) refer your complaint to the United States Attorney's Office in your area for investigation; (4) refer your complaint to another federal agency with responsibility for the types of issues you have raised; (5) investigate your complaint; or (6) consider your complaint for possible litigation by the DOJ.
If your matter is referred to the ADA Mediation Program, professional ADA-trained mediators throughout the United States will help resolve your ADA complaint fairly and quickly. The most common types of complaints referred to the ADA Mediation Program include barrier removal, program accessibility, effective communication, and modification of policies, practices, and procedures. If an investigation revels that there is an apparent pattern or practice of discrimination or the complaint raises an issue of general public importance, the DOJ may attempt to negotiate a formal settlement of the matter, or may file a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of the Unites States. Please remember though that the United States Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division does not act as an attorney for, or representative of, the complainant.
The following links are to (1) the website for the US DOJ’s Civil Rights Division; (2) a PDF with directions on how to file a complaint with the US DOJ Civil Rights Division; and (3) a link to where you may file a discrimination complaint.