Americans with Disability Act

It is the policy of the City of Mason City to provide access to services for all citizens, including those with special needs due to disabilities.  To the extent possible, access will be facilitated in such a manner that persons with disabilities will be able to enjoy the full array of City services with dignity and in the mainstream of the community.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act, known as the ADAAA, are federal laws that require employers to not discriminate against applicants and individuals with disabilities and, when needed, to provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees who are qualified for a job, with or without reasonable accommodations, so that they may perform the essential job duties of the position.

It is the policy of the City of Mason City to comply with all federal and state laws concerning the employment of persons with disabilities and act in accordance with regulations and guidance issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Iowa Civil Rights Act. Furthermore, it is our policy not to discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities in regard to application procedures, hiring, advancement, discharge, compensation, training or other terms, conditions and privileges of employment.

When an individual with a disability is requesting accommodation and can be reasonably accommodated without creating an undue hardship or causing a direct threat to workplace safety, they will be given the same consideration for employment as any other applicant. Applicants who pose a direct threat to the health, safety and well-being of themselves or others in the workplace when the threat cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation will not be hired.

The City of Mason City will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability so that they can perform the essential functions of a job unless doing so causes a direct threat to these individuals or others in the workplace and the threat cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation and/or if the accommodation creates an undue hardship to the City. Contact Human Resources with any questions or requests for accommodation. 

All employees are required to comply with the company safety standards. Current employees who pose a direct threat to the health and/or safety of themselves or other individuals in the workplace will be placed on appropriate leave until an organizational decision has been made in regard to the employees’ immediate employment situation.

An applicant or employee with a disability and requesting an accommodation for that disability is responsible for requesting the accommodation from the Human Resources Manager and providing medical documentation when requested.  Once medical documentation is received, Human Resources and the Department Head will work with the applicant or employee to identify possible reasonable accommodations and to assess the effectiveness of the accommodation in allowing the individual to perform the essential functions of the job.  A request for reasonable accommodation may be denied if it would create an undue hardship for the City. 

Individuals who are currently using illegal drugs are excluded from coverage under this ADA policy.

The Human Resources Manager shall serve as the City’s coordinator for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Each Department Head, or designee, shall serve as coordinator for the respective Department.


For more information, contact Perry Buffington, City Human Resources Manager at (641) 424-7130 or [email protected].