1. CIVIL RIGHTS REFERSHER & UPDATES
SAMPLE COUNTY CENTER
CIVIL RIGHTS REFERSHER & UPDATES

2. Agenda What are Civil Rights? Key Civil Rights Laws Protected Classes
Compliance Requirements

3. Our Commitment to Diversity
Extension is committed to the value of diversity within our respective partner organizations and to the provision of equal opportunity and non-discrimination in all employment for our staff and to all citizens seeking to participate in our programs.

4. What are Civil Rights Ask the question “What are Civil Rights?”
Some comments that may come from group:
A group of laws
Outreach to protected and underserved peoples or audiences
All reasonable efforts to expand access in programming
Reporting we have to do each year on the demographics of those we reach
Assuring non-discrimination based on race and ethnicity

5. Key Civil Rights Laws Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Title IX of the Education Amendments of
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as amended in 2008
Section 504, 503 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Age Discrimination Act of 1975
Review with staff the Federal Legislation that guides Civil Rights requirements in Extension.
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: Prohibits excluding participation or denying benefits in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance based on race, color, or national origin.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: Prohibits discrimination in employment in programs receiving federal assistance based on race, color, national origin, sex, and religion.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972: Prohibits excluding participation, denying benefits, or discrimination in any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance based on sex.
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (as amended): prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in all services, programs, and activities provided to the public by State and local governments, except public transportation services.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 & The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires access to programs and activities that are funded by Federal agencies…...
Section 503 – Nondiscrimination under Federal grant programs in employment
Section 504 – Nondiscrimination under federal grant programs from participating in programs or receiving benefits.
Section 508 – Electronic and Information Technology accessibility
Age Discrimination Act of 1975: Prohibits discrimination on the basis of age in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.

6. Protected Classes Race Color Religious Creed Sex Political Beliefs Age
Disability
National Origin
Limited English Proficiency
 In programs that receive Federal financial assistance from USDA, discrimination is prohibited on the bases of race, color, religious creed, sex, political beliefs, age, disability, national origin, or limited English proficiency. (Not all bases apply to all programs.) Reprisal is prohibited based on prior civil rights activity.
Important to remember with sex – you are not permitted to have sex separate groups, clubs, awards, competitions etc!!!!

7. Program Planning – Advisory Leadership System
Composition of advisory/planning committees
Follow procedures for selection of committee members
Maintain file of minutes of meetings
Advisory Leadership System – Councils and committees must reflect the diversity of the community being served. This is to be monitored annually in ERS. If advisory group is not representative of the county all reasonable efforts made to expand the representativeness of the group must be documented. Selection of ALS members must come from a diverse group from the community.
Ask how can you attract a diverse group to your advisory and planning committees?

8. Program Planning – Audience
Data Tools Examples:
Know data on potential beneficiary /recipients of research and/or extension programs
U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) bulletin NO on race for civil rights monitoring.
U.S. Census, Ag, Census, Civil Labor Force, etc.
7 CFR, Subpart A,§15.5 (b)
“In general, recipients (NIFA partners and sub-recipients) should have available for the Agency racial and ethnic data showing the extent to which members of minority groups are beneficiaries of federally assisted programs.”
Potential Audience – Persons or groups in a defined geographic area who might be interested in or benefit from an Extension educational program.
Discuss county specific data. Review Census, Census of Ag, LEP maps, and other data resources. Have staff discuss changes in county demographics and its impact on their audience and program needs. Ask staff how they are including each of the different audiences in their program planning efforts.
During program planning:
Identify who can be impacted (youth, adults, seniors, etc.)
Identify the demographics of this audience using available data sources
Determine how many total learners you can realistically reach
Come up with a strategy to reach the protected and underserved audiences in this potential audience

9. Public Notification
Public notification is at the core of our civil rights efforts.  Extension must take the necessary steps to inform the public that it does not discriminate, adheres to all civil rights laws, and most importantly, is open and available to everyone.  In addition, public notification is used to advertise, particularly to minorities, the underrepresented and underserved, as well as the disabled, all of Extension’s programs and their benefits. 
The purpose of a public notification system is to inform applicants, participants, and potentially eligible persons of program availability, program rights and responsibilities, the non-discrimination policy, and the procedure for filing a complaint.

10. Public Notification Non-Discrimination Statement
NC State University and N.C. A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity and prohibit discrimination and harassment regardless of age, color, disability, family and marital status, genetic information, national origin, political beliefs, race, religion, sexual identity (including pregnancy) and veteran status. NC State, N.C. A&T, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.
The Non-discrimination statement has been approved by Extension administration and must be included on Extension letterhead, publications, job announcements, program announcements, and other printed material. Examples where the nondiscrimination statement have been used should be put in the County Civil Rights file as documentation of compliance.

11. Public Notification Accommodation Statement
Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made by [specific date] to [contact person, phone number, and address].
All informational materials released to the public must contain the following statement when announcing a specific meeting or activity. It is recommended to require 3 weeks notice for accommodation requests to provide enough time to arrange for the accommodation.   Such statement indicates the organization is compliant with civil right laws and reasonable accommodations will be made for those individuals with disabilities to have access to the program or activity; and materials may be available in alternative formats.   Examples where the accommodation statement have been used should be put in the County Civil Rights file as documentation of compliance. Also, maintain lists of each request for an accommodation, the accommodation type, and if the accommodation was provided. Relay711 is a resource that may be used free of charge.

12. Public Notification And Justice For All
“And Justice for All” poster utilized in ALL program & office areas
The And Justice for All poster is required to be located in areas of the county office where is is visible to the public.

13. Potential Barriers to Participation
Language Barriers
Cultural Barriers
Economic Barriers
Access Barriers
Language Barriers
Executive Order 13166, “Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency (LEP)”, requires that NC State Extension take reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access for LEP persons to our programs. Agents must assess the county in regards to LEP populations and their needs. If your county has a potential audience is likely to include a significant population of non-English speaking participants, the use of alternative language when offering programs may be required, this can include translation of materials in other languages. An interactive mapping tool to determine the concentration of and languages spoken by LEP individuals in a community can be found at Each County shall complete a LEP Self-Assessment once every 5 years.
Cultural Barriers
Cultural barriers are those conditions that can limit or even exclude participation of racial, minority, religious and ethnic groups. Such of these barriers may exclude clientele from initially attending a program or activity; or may persuade individuals from returning to other program or activity. Examples of such cultural barriers can include: scheduling events that conflict with major religious/ethnic holidays or events; having programs or events in potentially uncomfortable locations such as churches; or locations where minority groups were previously rejected or had unpleasant experiences; or using program announcements/promotional materials that only display White clientele.
Economic Barriers
Economic barriers are those conditions of an economic nature that can limit or exclude participation of disadvantaged, racial, minority, and ethnic groups. Examples include: programs, activities that require extensive purchases of equipment or supplies; programs that involve fees, meals, and travel; and programs that are conducted at certain times of the day or certain days of the week.
Access Barriers
Access barriers are the factors in a person’s environment that, through their absence or presence, limit functioning and create disability. These include aspects such as: a physical environment that is not accessible, lack of relevant assistive technology (assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices), negative attitudes of people towards disability, and services, systems and policies that are either nonexistent or that hinder the involvement of all people with a health condition in all areas of life.

14. Underrepresented Groups
Who are some of the “underrepresented” groups that we should be reaching out to in our county?
How might we go about doing this?
What barriers might be preventing them from participation?
Expanding Outreach of Extension is everyone’s job. This expectation is imbedded in Extension’s mission, purpose, values and vision. Not only that it is the right thing to do as well as an expectation set forth by funders – need to be in compliance. Outreach Efforts are the approaches that are required of Extension staff to solicit participation of underrepresented groups in Extension programs and the Advisory Leadership System.
Communications must be free of bias. Delivery methods, materials/curriculum, program content that promotes and encourages underrepresented group participation – ask for specific examples.
Where are some places you can publicize events that would reach underrepresented groups???
County file should contain examples of outreach efforts.

15. All Reasonable Efforts
Use of all available mass media, including radio, newspaper, and television, to inform potential program recipients of opportunities to participate. Utilized media outlets that target the underrepresented group to announce programs and events.
Personal letters and circulars addressed to defined potential recipients inviting them to participate, including dates and places of meetings or other planned activities. This should include the development of diverse flyers, brochures, posters, announcements to be placed in locations frequented by the underrepresented group.
Personal visits by the county extension staff member(s) to a representative number of defined potential recipients in the geographically defined area to encourage participation.
Contact with community groups to recruit under-represented clientele. Plan and implement joint activities to create integrated programs. Utilize meeting places selected to encourage participation by under-represented clientele. Seek assistance from other community groups to encourage
What constitutes All Reasonable Efforts? Examples?
When are all reasonable efforts required?

16. Parity
Program audiences and/or sponsored groups/clubs are considered to be in “parity” when the percentage of each racial or ethnic category in the actual clientele group is within 80 percent of the percentage of each racial or ethnic category in the potential clientele group.
The reason we are making these efforts is to achieve Balanced Participation or Parity. This should be a priority for all program initiatives and in all sponsored groups/ clubs. Balanced Participation or Parity means that participation of individuals from minority groups reflects the proportionate representation in the population of potential recipients. This valued is calculated for ALS, groups, and clubs in ERS. It is also examined for face to face contacts.

17. Complaint Information - Participants
Informally with employee or County Director
Formally by writing, ing, or calling the NC State Director of Extension
Official notification online or in writing to the USDA
Bases: race, color, religious creed, sex, political beliefs, age, disability, national origin, or limited English proficiency. (Not all bases apply to all programs.) Reprisal is prohibited based on prior civil rights activity.
Do you know what to do if someone wants to file a complant?
In programs that receive Federal financial assistance from USDA, discrimination is prohibited on the bases of race, color, religious creed, sex, political beliefs, age, disability, national origin, or limited English proficiency. (Not all bases apply to all programs.) Reprisal is prohibited based on prior civil rights activity.
NC State Extension encourages, but does not require, clients to try to resolve complaints with the Extension employee providing the program or service at the local level. When a client voices a concern about possible discrimination in a program, the employee receiving the complaint should listen carefully and not argue with the client or respond defensively. The employee should try to resolve he complaint if possible. The client should be made aware that they have the right to take their concern to the County Extension Director as a step in the informal complaint process where the County Extension Director shall act promptly to mediate, conciliate, or otherwise achieve informal resolution. The client should also be made aware that they also have the right to file a formal complaint with the NC State Extension Director or send notification of the complaint directly to the USDA.
If the client decides not to file a formal complaint, the employee receiving the complaint or the County Extension Director, if the complaint was escalated to their level, should document by letter to the client, a summary of the discussion, and the corrective action to be taken or already taken concerning the complaint. In the letter, the client should be informed of their right to file a formal complaint by providing them with a copy of the Discrimination Complaint Brochure. A copy of the letter should be forwarded to the District Extension Directors and a copy should be included in the county civil rights file.
If the client’s complaint is not resolved to their satisfaction, the client should be provided with the NC State Extension Discrimination Complaint Brochure and the Director of NC State Extension should be notified immediately. Clients can file a formal complaint with the Director of NC State Extension. Clients also have the right to send official notification of complaint directly to the USDA Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights.

18. Complaint Information - Employees
Employees are encouraged, and should feel free, to seek assistance, information, and guidance within NC State from any of these resources:
Immediate Supervisor
Extension Administration
Office for Institutional Equity & Diversity
Human Resources - Employee Relations
Bases: Discrimination, Harassment, Retaliation
Do you know how to file a complaint if you believe you are being discriminated against?
NC State employees may file formal complaints for violations of the NC State Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy (Pol ) for acts of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation.
Discrimination is unfavorable treatment with regard to a term or condition of employment, or participation in an academic program or activity based upon age (40 or older), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or veteran status. Discrimination includes the denial of a request for a reasonable accommodation based upon disability or religion.
Harassment is any unwelcome conduct based upon age (40 or older), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or veteran status that either creates a quid pro quo situation or a hostile environment.
Retaliation is any adverse action (including intimidation, threats or coercion) against an individual because that individual engaged in a protected activity.
Employees are encouraged, and should feel free, to seek assistance, information, and guidance within NC State from any of these resources:
Immediate Supervisor
Extension Administration
Office for Institutional Equity & Diversity
Human Resources - Employee Relations
To file a workplace-related complaint, complete the Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Complaint form which provides preliminary information to the Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity to assist in resolving violations of NC State University’s Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy. The form can be accessed at the NC State Equal Opportunity and Equity section’s website: