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Did anyone listen to the LAHD/AcHP accessibility presentation by Evan Terry Associates?

Y

Yikes

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Just curious if any of you sat in on the 2-day Zoom presentation this week by LA Housing Department's Neutral Accessibility Consultant (NAC), Evan Terry Associates, decribing their interpretations of all the various accessibility standards and how they will apply them to housing projects in Los Angeles. If so, what was your take?
 
Yes. They clarified their interpretations on a number of big issues, such as kitchen storage. This helps with the design. However, I was not clear if LAHD will be in 100% agreement with all of their interpretations which, if this is the case, continues to leave some issues in limbo.
 
Noel Toro said:
Yes. They clarified their interpretations on a number of big issues, such as kitchen storage. This helps with the design. However, I was not clear if LAHD will be in 100% agreement with all of their interpretations which, if this is the case, continues to leave some issues in limbo.
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One CASp on the call later told me there should've been a drinking game where you downed a shot every time someone said "we'll get back to you on that" or "it depends".

Regarding kitchen storage, I was frustrated by the lack of consistency.
On the one hand they said they must follow the "as written" letter of the law and not allow any drawer bottom space to be considered as shelf storage. On the other hand they said they would allow drawers at least 8.5" deep to count as shelving. Fine, but don't then claim you are following the regulations "as written".
Same story for when they said they would not count any shelving above 80" high, because that was a typical upper reach for a an average person. Again, they had a sensible interpretation, but there is no way they can claim that it follows the regulations "as written".

Lastly, some of the presenters sounded surprised/unaware that CA had changed portions of the 11B code last July. I wonder what the HCID staff were thinking when they heard their NAC making pronouncements based on the old code.
 
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