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City officials agree to audit Plattsburgh's accessibility problems
http://www.northcountrypublicradio....to-audit-plattsburgh-s-accessibility-problems
Activists in Plattsburgh have been fighting for years to make the city more accessible to people with disabilities. This month, they won an important battle. City officials have agreed to do an accessibility audit, and make a list of all the buildings that need to be upgraded. The bigger goal is to bring the city into compliance with federal accessibility laws.
City officials are spending $50,000 on a city-wide, Americans with Disabilities Act audit. They’ve hired a private company called Accessibility Services, which has helped dozens of businesses, colleges, and municipalities make sure they’re in compliance with the ADA.
“It is a big deal. This is a significant victory. I mean, we’ve been waiting for this for 25 years,” said Robert Poulin, who heads the North Country Center for Independence.
Last year was the 25th anniversary of the ADA. Poulin and other disability activists used the occasion to reinvigorate their fight for accessibility in Plattsburgh. They said the city needs to get its act together and commit to upgrading old buildings and parking lots.
Getting the city to approve an ADA compliance audit was one of their main demands. “This is going to reveal the problems, which we already know, pretty much, what those problems are. But this is going to be a public document that will inform the entire public of all the issues,” Poulin said.
For a while, things were tense between disability activists and city officials. Now they seem to be working together. City hall and several other facilities have already been upgraded. But there are still a lot of issues, Poulin said. One of the most egregious is at the city’s recreation center, where there are lots of stairs, and only a couple of ramps.
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There are also issues at buildings and parks all over the city. And it’s not only physical barriers, Poulin said. “There are program issues, like – the library is accessible, but how do they deal with people with blindness and visual impairments being able to access those services?”
Poulin said the compliance audit is an important step forward. He’s optimistic, but he's also cautious. “This is just a study, and the next part is going to be the more difficult part, which is going to be the actual changing.”
Mayor Jim Calnon said the audit will take about three months once it gets underway. Then the city will get to work on a remediation plan, detailing what needs to happen for the city to fully come into compliance. Poulin said that could take years, and a lot more money.
http://www.northcountrypublicradio....to-audit-plattsburgh-s-accessibility-problems
Activists in Plattsburgh have been fighting for years to make the city more accessible to people with disabilities. This month, they won an important battle. City officials have agreed to do an accessibility audit, and make a list of all the buildings that need to be upgraded. The bigger goal is to bring the city into compliance with federal accessibility laws.
City officials are spending $50,000 on a city-wide, Americans with Disabilities Act audit. They’ve hired a private company called Accessibility Services, which has helped dozens of businesses, colleges, and municipalities make sure they’re in compliance with the ADA.
“It is a big deal. This is a significant victory. I mean, we’ve been waiting for this for 25 years,” said Robert Poulin, who heads the North Country Center for Independence.
Last year was the 25th anniversary of the ADA. Poulin and other disability activists used the occasion to reinvigorate their fight for accessibility in Plattsburgh. They said the city needs to get its act together and commit to upgrading old buildings and parking lots.
Getting the city to approve an ADA compliance audit was one of their main demands. “This is going to reveal the problems, which we already know, pretty much, what those problems are. But this is going to be a public document that will inform the entire public of all the issues,” Poulin said.
For a while, things were tense between disability activists and city officials. Now they seem to be working together. City hall and several other facilities have already been upgraded. But there are still a lot of issues, Poulin said. One of the most egregious is at the city’s recreation center, where there are lots of stairs, and only a couple of ramps.
Help ensure that NCPR will always be a part of the place you love. Click to become a supporter!
There are also issues at buildings and parks all over the city. And it’s not only physical barriers, Poulin said. “There are program issues, like – the library is accessible, but how do they deal with people with blindness and visual impairments being able to access those services?”
Poulin said the compliance audit is an important step forward. He’s optimistic, but he's also cautious. “This is just a study, and the next part is going to be the more difficult part, which is going to be the actual changing.”
Mayor Jim Calnon said the audit will take about three months once it gets underway. Then the city will get to work on a remediation plan, detailing what needs to happen for the city to fully come into compliance. Poulin said that could take years, and a lot more money.
