BJ Bolender, ACBVI Inc.
This information was supplied by Denise Thompson, State of Arizona ADA Director. It is a handout checklist used as a guide for facilities to evaluate the way they “provide goods and services to people with disabilities on an equal basis with the rest of the general public”.
“The regulations require that architectural and communication barriers that are structural must be removed in public areas of existing facilities when their removal is readily achievable – in other words, easily accomplished and able to be carried out without much difficulty or expense. Public accommodations that must meet the barrier removal requirement include a broad range of establishments (both for-profit and nonprofit) – such as hotels, restaurants, theaters, museums, retail stores, private schools, banks, doctor’s offices, and other places that serve the public. People who own lease, lease out, or operate places of public accommodation in existing buildings are responsible for complying with the barrier removal requirement.”
The four priorities recommended by the Title III regulations for planning readily achievable barrier removal projects are:
Accessible approach and entrance
Access to goods and services
Access to rest rooms
Any other measures necessary
Priorities 1 and 2 apply to the resource labs of One-Stop Centers and VR offices of RSA for the purposes contained in the training for staff regarding AT. Accessible Approach and Entrance considerations are Priority 1, while Access to Goods and Services includes similar environmental and orientation issues as well, also including signage. Access to seats, tables, counters, and use of “controls” for operating equipment is part of Priority 2. While most of the checklist is concerned with recommendations, it is useful to look at when seeing that a resource lab and AT devices really are as barrier-free as possible.
Many of the AT considerations for the accessible workstation are developed to make access as optimal as possible. Such AT equipment addresses these issues that vary widely from one individual to another. One such example is the adjustable desk, which is a power-lift, motorized unit that can accommodate those in various sizes of wheelchairs from a low sitting height all the way to use by an individual that must stand to use the accessible computer. Posted signs are highly encouraged to mark the accessible workstation and label the key devices a client may use, such as the computer, a TTY phone, or the ergonomic chair. Some features and arrangements of equipment and furniture are governed not only by ADA guidelines, but also concern for privacy and confidentiality issues. These considerations are NOT included in ADA guidelines, but rather are addressed to meet the intent of the law to provide as barrier-free an environment as possible.
To summarize Priority 1 ADA guidelines, the following is a short list of key access features:
Route of Travel
Ramps
Parking and Drop-Off Areas
Entrance: Stairs, Ramp, Lift, Alternative Accessible Entrance
Doors, including clear opening, clear wall space, handle height, force of opening, time to close, threshold, and automatic door operators
To summarize Priority 2 ADA guidelines, the following is a short list of key access features:
Horizontal Circulation
Doors (entrance and interior)
Rooms and Spaces
Emergency Egress
Signage for Goods and Services
Directional and Informational Signage
Controls
Seats, Tables, and Counters
Vertical Circulation
Stairs
Elevators
Lifts
On the two priority lists, the items that directly impact an accessible workstation and resource lab are marked with underlines. These will be discussed in the general disability awareness training for each resource lab. Conditions in each site determine the degree to which the goal of a barrier-free access succeeds for the clients and staff. Balancing the goal for a good office environment comes with the ability of a site and staff to make changes “easily accomplished and able to be carried out without much difficulty or expense”.