ADA Accomplishments Across New England
Maine
The last five years have been extraordinarily busy and rewarding for those working for civil rights and access for persons with disabilities in the state of Maine.
Maine Courthouses
One important project that happened in Maine was the surveying and evaluation of forty-six courthouses and administrative properties for the Maine Administrative Office of the Courts (MAOC). Hired by the MAOC, lead architect Denis Pratt of Alpha One’s Access Design Staff successfully surveyed and evaluated all of the forty-six properties as a third party evaluator over a two-year period. The main goal of the project was to assist the MAOC in acquiring funding from the Maine legislature for upgrading court properties to be accessible and useable to persons with disabilities. To date, the MAOC has successfully acquired one third of their funding required to upgrade their facilities and are in the process of making accessibility modifications at key court properties throughout the State of Maine including historic & landmark facilities.
Access Board Membership
As a direct result of Denis Pratt’s involvement with many disability related and accessibility projects, including his involvement with the State of Maine Courthouse Project, President George W. Bush appointed Denis as a public member of the U.S. Access Board in Washington, D.C. in December, 2002. Because of his experience and knowledge on Courthouse Accessibility, Denis was also appointed to and serves on a federal Courthouse Access Advisory Committee charged with developing “best practices” guidance on Accessible Courthouse Design. The design of courthouses poses challenges to access due to unique features, such as courtroom areas that are elevated within confined spaces. The Board received many requests for guidance on how access can best be achieved while meeting traditional design features. This committee’s work will be focused on developing advisory information and guidance on best practices. The committee is scheduled to deliver its final report to the Access Board in November, 2006.
Outreach Collaborations
For the past five years, Alpha One, Husson College, and VSA arts of Maine have been working together on two separate outreach projects that impact a wide range of consumers and businesses throughout Maine and adjoining New England States. The Accessible Maine Initiative Project, developed by VSA arts of Maine in an effort to survey and document accessible public accommodations [specifically cultural and arts related venues], has been working with Alpha One and the Husson College Occupational Therapy Program in Bangor within the curriculum of a multi-year “service learning” program. The program raises the awareness of disability, accessibility related design, regulatory obligations in the community, and how the disability community can benefit from compliance with the regulations. This program matriculates 15 to 20 O.T. professionals every year.
Another project that all three organizations have been involved with for the past five years is the Access to Maine Arts, Leisure, and Recreation Project. Working with the Maine Tourism Association, the four organizations have developed a self-reporting accessibility survey that will be available on line and managed by Alpha One. Local businesses in Maine will be able to access the survey, increase their awareness of their properties’ level of accessibility to persons with disabilities, and complete a self-report that will be listed on line. This information will be available for tourists and Maine residents alike to use in their quest for accessible venues in Maine’s recreational industry.
According to information from the MAOC, the original Lincoln County Courthouse, constructed in 1818, is listed on the National Register of Historic Properties and is one of the oldest operating courthouses in the country. It is now accessible.
Above: Maine’s Lincoln County Courthouse, Wiscasset, ME.
Source:
Denis Pratt
Lead Architect
Alpha One
Rhode Island
Rhode Island, also known as “the Ocean State”, is a state where recreation and outdoor activities are an important part of the lives of the people who live in and visit the state. The American with Disabilities Act has improved the quality of life of Rhode Islanders with a disability. In the last five years, there has been many new construction projects and reconstruction projects that are now ADA compliant. Two examples include a fishing pier and a wheelchair ramp for beach access.
The Stillwater Reservoir Dam, located in Smithfield, RI, was considered a “high-hazard” dam. In 2004, Stillwater Dam was reconstructed to bring it up to current standards. The new site now includes new fishing stations and parking, and will continue to be used for recreation, and is now easily accessible to those with disabilities.
Last year, the city of East Providence began the redesign of Rose Larisa Memorial Park The design included the addition of two stairways to a public beach. When the park was ready to open, the fact that there were no wheelchair ramps was brought to the attention of the RI Governor’s Commission on Disabilities. Harvey Salvas, the State ADA coordinator found the park was not in compliance and cited warnings that the park was now at risk for losing almost $900,000 in federal funding. The design committee and the architects came together and came up with a plan to add a wheelchair ramp and additional handicapped parking spaces to be in compliance with the law. When the ramp and parking spaces were completed, the city along with the Governor’s Commission on Disabilities held a public opening of both the staircases and the wheelchair ramp The opening was especially exciting as it fell on the 15th year Anniversary of the signing of the ADA.
ADA Realtor Training
Harvey Salvas and Chris Rancourt from the Rhode Island Governor’s Commission on Disabilities provided ADA training for 125 realtors. The course is now a mandatory requirement for obtaining or renewing your realtor’s license in the state of Rhode Island.
Above: The Accessible Rose Larisa Park in East Providence, RI.
Source:
Christine Botts
Public Information Coordinator
RI Governor's Commission on Disabilities
Vermont
The state of Vermont experienced many ADA accomplishments in the last five years. As a result of the hard work and dedication of advocates for the rights and equality of persons with disabilities. Vermont citizens, towns, businesses and service organizations received the information they need about the Americans with Disabilities Act and other disability rights laws in order to become more accessible to all.
The premise of the ADA that individuals with disabilities have a right to full citizenship; and therefore to services in the most integrated setting, represents one of the major impacts of the ADA in the last five years. The Olmstead decision has confirmed what Centers for Independent Living have been saying for years, and long term funding mechanisms are shifting in response.
Olmstead Act
In Vermont there used to be a waiting period for community based services, but residents were told that they were entitled to a nursing home bed. Now Vermont leads the nation in having a long term care model where the money follows the person. Both the ADA and the voices of Vermonters helped shape a new and more equitable option.
Capacity Building
Another shift that the ADA has helped engender in the last five years is a new partnership approach to accessibility and beyond in community development. Community access initiatives have actually founded welcoming partners in local communities like Bennington and in fitness centers, health care programs, and information technology initiatives. People are moving beyond compliance to universal design and lifespan approaches to buildings, public spaces, communication and transportation systems, service design and information. It does not happen everywhere but the ground is shifting under our feet and sometimes the moves are positive ones. This orientation to disability rights has helped us build partnerships that work for both individuals with disabilities and state and community partners. In Vermont, the vision and energy of disability rights and universal design have begun to inform public and community debate about the place of disability in our personal and social lives.
The Cross Disability Approach
The cross disability approach embedded in the ADA is also helping to reframe the nature of disability partnerships. About five years ago, the Vermont Center for Independent Living signed a memorandum of agreement with Vermont Psychiatric Survivors and Green Mountain Self Advocates affirming the principles and goals of the ADA and the rights of all Vermonters to integrated opportunities and services, civil rights and protection from forced treatment. The ADA shifted the discussions on our diverse and shared disability experiences away from fragmented diagnosis and single disability priorities toward a shared right to opportunity. We are all the better for it.
Source:
Deborah Lisi-Baker
Director
Vermont Center for Independent Living
Connecticut
Implementation of the ADA was very successful in the state of Connecticut over the last five years. Some examples of major accomplishments include:
- Mammography Initiative to ensure all women with disabilities have access to this important test.
- Nursing Facilities Transition Project -- an Olmstead based effort to implement systems change and integrate persons with disabilities into the community
- Inclusive recreation program for children with disabilities in Groton
- Trainings for fire marshals and fire personnel on emergency egress and planning.
- Initiative to Prevent Domestic Violence Against Women with Disabilities
- State Library System Project to improve access and provide accommodations
- Ongoing Pilot Project to create more opportunities and services for adults with autism.
Communication access has also been a major focus in the last five years. As Candace Low, Executive Director of Independence Unlimited states, “Communication access is where we were with ramps about 20 years ago. We are way behind. Attitudinal changes need to happen in order to see significant improvements.” Despite these challenges, the state saw an important increase in the availability of captioning at movies and on television. For example, CT-N (Connecticut Television Network), now has 50 % of its hearings and legislative meetings captioned, with plans for further improvements.
Massachusetts
As we look back over the last five years we cannot help but notice that Massachusetts has seen significant changes in people’s general awareness of the existence of the ADA and the rights, obligations and responsibilities under it; whether it be a small town proactively searching for solutions or a local business trying to do the right thing. Below are a few of the examples of the impact of the ADA.
The Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD) was asked to represent persons with disabilities as a full member of the task force that was formed to rewrite the design manual used by the Massachusetts Highway Department. After three years of intense committee review the newly revised manual was completed and published in January of 2006. One of the biggest changes from the previous version is the emphasis on all aspects of how roadways are used. Great attention was paid to the needs of pedestrians with disabilities. Design requirements go beyond the minimum standards found in ADAAG and work to ensure that pedestrian routes are useable by everyone, including people with disabilities. This will impact not only the work the State Highway Department performs, but also is a tool for local governments. The Design Manual itself and the process used to gather information for it have been recognized and have received national awards.
The passage of the Help America Vote Act in 2002 was another step in increasing public awareness to the obstacles faced by people with disabilities. MOD staff personally surveyed all of the 1500+ Massachusetts’ polling locations to determine their level of compliance with the state’s voting regulations 950 CMR 51.00, which are more stringent than those found in HAVA, and the Secretary of State’s Office has followed up with those municipalities who need to undertake corrective measures. MOD has also been a key partner in the Secretary’s effort to access accessible voting machines in order to meet the HAVA requirement of having accessible machines in each polling location by January 1, 2007. It is only now, 16 years after the passage of the ADA and 4 years after the passage of HAVA that the Secretary’s office is finally meeting less résistance from the municipalities to making the necessary modifications
Finally, but not least of the changes that has occurred over the past five years that underscores the success of the ADA, is that municipalities are regularly requesting that MOD be part of their building review process. They are proactively asking MOD to conduct site surveys of newly renovated or constructed municipal buildings to ensure ADA obligations. This is a direct result of the passage of the ADA and the work that has been done over the past 16 years to raise the level of awareness regarding access for people with disabilities. We are finding that this process is resulting in public buildings that are useable by people with disabilities from the first day they are open to the public. This has been a cooperative process that has saved municipalities countless dollars. Non-compliant features are now being found prior to the municipality taking ownership of the project and they can be corrected before the contractors leave the site. Five years ago MOD was receiving more calls from the general public reporting that new buildings had been constructed with access problems, now the municipalities are actively working to avoid that problem. Over the past 5 years, with awareness of the ADA becoming an integral part of a municipality’s thought process, we have seen this trend toward being proactive. There is no question that this shift is in direct relation to the passage of the ADA and the increased awareness of the rights of people with disabilities.
Above: Curb Cuts For All. Photo by Kristin Schneider, Courtesy of Adaptive Environments>
Source:
Jeffrey L. Dougan
Assistant Director for Community Services
Massachusetts Office on Disability
New Hampshire
New Hampshire has seen many advancements in its efforts to implement the ADA in the last five years. Below is just a sampling of the many accomplishments that took place in the Granite State.
Judicial System Access
As of June 16, 40 of the 47 courthouses in New Hampshire have been evaluated by Cheryl Killam, the Accessibility Specialist for the Commission, for compliance with accessibility standards. One courthouse remains inaccessible, which is located in Berlin. Cheryl has prepared a list of priorities for Chief Justice Broderick, which will be discussed during the meeting of the NH Courts Accreditation Committee on June 23rd. Because the Supreme Court should be the model for the state, it is number one on her list. This courthouse is accessible, but the accessible entrance is via a locked back door, and the location of the accessible restroom is in the basement.
Accessible Recreation
In February 2006, the Commission celebrated examples of barrier free recreational programs, as a result of the ADA, and highlighted Northeast Passage, a self-funded program of the University of New Hampshire’s School of Health and Human Services, affiliated with Disabled Sports, USA. Northeast Passage hosted an afternoon of accessible hand-cycling with participants from all over New England.
Access to Voting
As of June 2006, 185 of the 309 polling places have been evaluated for accessibility code compliance with 5 having noncompliant ramps. Most municipalities have relocated their polling place to the local schools, which are accessible.
As a result of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), a task force made up mostly of individuals with disabilities and election officials reviewed proposals from several vendors in order to assist Secretary of State William Gardner in choosing the voting system that will allow most people with or without disabilities to vote privately and independently. A telephone-fax system by IVS was chosen and will be in place for the September 2006 elections.
Parking Awareness
The Commission is working with the NH Dept. of Motor Vehicles to publish and distribute a brochure on access aisles. It is nearly completed and will be distributed with all requests for walking disability parking permits and plates and will be available at all DMV substations throughout the state as well as at the Commission.
Accommodating Patients with Disabilities
The Commission was awarded an ADA Incentive Grant to provide training and resource materials to health care professionals on how to accommodate patients who are disabled. A CD-Rom is being tested by the grant research team formed by the Commission and will soon be released and will also be distributed at the annual conferences of the NH Medical Society and the NH Hospital Association.
Concord Area Para-Transit System
The Commission has been working with Concord Area Transit to assist them in starting up their Para-transit system.
NH Driver’s Manual
The Commission has worked with Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired to revise the driver’s manual for the state so that the proper information is provided.
Above: Accessible playground, Epsom, NH.
Source:
Cheryl Killam
Accessibility Specialist
NH Governor’s Commission on Disability
