1. Buildings and facilities built after 1974 were

built with ramps, wide doors and restrooms.

2. We began providing curb ramps in new

sidewalk construction in 1974.

3. Our disabled parking spaces are 12 wide with

5 foot access aisles, and are "state of the art",

marked in blue, signed correctly and are

everywhere.

4. Bring a doctor’s certificate, proof of disability and

you can get a disabled parking permit to park free

in Florida.

5. Our State DOT has made all the rest stops accessible.

Many have family restrooms and the rest are planned

to be installed. See this site:

http://www.dot.state.fl.us/statemaintenanceoffice/Rest_Area_Listing.shtm

6. Our hotels and motels, like other buildings, built after

1974 are accessible.

A. DEADLINE FOR SWIMMING POOL LIFTS IS MARCH 2012

Sales are NOT as brisk as expected. A source thinks Hotel and Motel owners are waiting for the last moment. I believe the word is just not getting out. A Tallahassee based Hotel and Motel Association thanked the Florida Paraplegic Association for the "heads up" and began an excellent notification program. They are "On Board".

Motel 6 headquarters responded that they will have all the pool lifts in by the Deadline. All government and non-profit pools must meet the deadline.

Meeting the deadline early is important. The Florida Paraplegic Association will be inviting tourists in wheelchairs and their families from all over the World, to our Florida "Wheelchair Utopia". See this entire front page for the details on our plan to save Florida jobs, and create a million more jobs.

My recommendation is the IGAT-180, at AquaticAccess.com as it can be installed easily, requires no "fan fare" or extra help to get on the lift, into the water and out rather independently. This lift has served me well since 2004. It runs with a basic water hose or installed water line. It costs about $4,000.

Below are the web sites about the pool lifts and the deadline of March 2012. I have found the FloridaPool Pro.com the easier site to navigate and read, followed by the access-board.gov site:

http://www.floridapoolpro.com/industry/govtrelations/ADA.html

http://www.access-board.gov/ada-aba/final.pdf

http://www.ada.gov

Figure 1009.2.2 Pool Lift Seat Location 280
Figure 1009.2.3 Clear Deck Space at Pool Lifts 281
Figure 1009.2.4 Pool Lift Seat Height 281
Figure 1009.2.8 Pool Lift Submerged Depth 282
Figure 1009.3.2 Sloped Entry Submerged Depth 283 . Dear Florida Secretary:

Maybe all of you people need to start working for us so our DECEMBER INVITATION is maximum successful as possible. Our plan is to save jobs first and create over a million new jobs.

We need to get government working in the right direction. We need your help to enhance tourism. And we have the best plan on the table.
our President of the Florida Paraplegic Association posted this Part 1 and Part 2 in newspapers on Saturday, and will continue to do so until DECEMBER:

Part 1

 

 

The www.visitflorida.com web site needs revamping to lure these families with a wheelchair member to visit Florida. Since 1974 we have been building a "Wheelchair Utopia" state. We will assure these wheelchair users that they will find accessible restrooms everywhere, fully accessible State of Florida rest areas, many with family toilet rooms, accessible hotels, sidewalks with curb cuts, wheelchair accessible taxi's, wheelchair accessible buses, state of the art disabled parking spaces, wheelchair accessible tourist attractions. Our ports and airports are fully accessible. A tourist in a wheelchair must be told that they can ride the buses all day long for $5. We have wheelchair van rentals all over the state. This invitation in December, would be more successful if the Governor, and State resources were involved. We may have to create a special web site to enhance this invitation. We are now in the 6th month of straight job losses in Florida. It is past time to get to work. We have put our plan on the table, and we have not seen any other plan from our elected officials who have promised to develop jobs. www.visitflorida.com revamped. It does not have a line that would encourage a family with a wheelchair member to visit our "Wheelchair Utopia Florida"

 

 

Frankly, we need a special web site just for wheelchair visitors. The best agency to build such a web site is the STATE of Florida Department of Transportation. I'd recommend such a web site be coordinated by Dean Perkins, DOT coordinator since most of the site would be transportation related.

Part 4

The following is the State of Florida "crown jewel" To build it cost millions of taxpayer dollars. It is time to reveal it.

"Below is a link to our Rest Area Chart, which describes the facilities available at each rest area.

Supplied Dean Perkins, FLA DOT ADA COORDINATOR

 

http://www.dot.state.fl.us/statemaintenanceoffice/Rest_Area_Listing.shtm

 

1. Buildings and facilities built after 1974 were

built with ramps, wide doors and restrooms.

 

2. We began providing curb ramps in new

sidewalk construction in 1974.

 

3. Our disabled parking spaces are 12 wide with

5 foot access aisles, and are "state of the art",

marked in blue, signed correctly and are

everywhere.

 

4. Bring a doctor’s certificate, proof of disability and

you can get a disabled parking permit to park free

in Florida.

 

5. Our State DOT has made all the rest stops accessible.

Many have family restrooms and the rest are planned

to be installed.  See this site:

http://www.dot.state.fl.us/statemaintenanceoffice/Rest_Area_Listing.shtm

6. Our hotels and motels, like other buildings, built after

1974 are accessible.

 

7. Our Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990

addressed barrier removal in older buildings to

modify the buildings. Many hotels and

motels have complied, voluntarily or by

legal ADA law suits.

 

8. We have laws that allow bona fide service dogs

for the disabled.

 

9. Many Airports and hotels are serviced by

Wheelchair Taxi’s.

 

10. Buses with wheelchair lifts service Many Airports.

 

11. Many of our counties have 100% wheelchair accessible

bus fleets.

 

12. We have many wheelchairs lift equipped

van rental businesses.

 

13. Our State and Federal Parks

 

are wheelchair accessible.

 

 

14. Our local parks, are supposed to be barrier free,

but some are still not ADA compliant.

 

15. Many beach parks have vehicles that people can

use to get through the sand to our oceans.

 

16. Our trains are wheelchair accessible.

 

17.  Our seaports upon arrival are wheelchair accessible.

 

18.  Cruise line Ships are accessible.

 

19. All swimming pools must have wheelchair lifts installed

by March 1012. We expect the entire major

Hotel chains  in Florida to be in full compliance.

 

20. We have wheelchair accessible boats for going

fishing, diving and snorkeling.

 

 

This is what we can guarantee every person in the world, who uses a wheelchair and who is brave enough, will trust us, to vacation in Florida:

Florida leads the WORLD and "almost" all states in wheelchair and disability laws.

Part 6
We need a letter to go out to all the Florida Pool Owners covered under ADA. It is a big list. They need to be encouraged, in the name of tourism enhancement to install the pool lifts. While the motels and hotels are very important, we need all the other pools accessible. They cost about $4,000. See the attachment for a pool lift I use, and it will all come back to them, with tourists coming to Florida in wheelchairs to swim at the hotels and motels.

I am no longer thinking the governor should author such a letter, he has too much negative baggage. Perhaps the new secretary should get involved.

Education lesson: Swimming is the only practical method of exercise for people in wheelchairs. With a mask and snorkel lesson they can swim for hours. The next thing they will demand are scuba lessons. And trips to the reefs.

Part 7

The Florida motels and hotels need encouragement to revamp their web sites with the content of Part 2.

Part 8

The legislature must create massive incentives for people building tourist attractions. Developers must be given reasons to begin such tourist construction.

Also, the tolls must vanish for tourists.

Bed taxes, also must be addressed.

When the tourist goes home, he or she needs to be our "ambassador" to their family and friends about how great their vacation was in Florida. And they will also return again, year after year.

Part 9

The goal must be established to double, and then triple tourism visits in Florida.

Part 10

The State and Tourism industry has got to get our " Wheelchair Utopia Message" to every city in the WORLD. This would be a novel first time public relations "first", inviting tourists from every country in the world to bring their family and vacation in Florida.

Part 11

 

 

 

 

ON THIS FRONT PAGE             Updated 9-27-2011

A. Deadline for Installing Pool Lifts all over America.

B. Apology from Publisher.

C. Plan "shared" with the Florida Secretary to save, create jobs.

D. The December planned invitation to go Worldwide.

PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD, IN WHEELCHAIRS SHOULD VACATION IN "WHEELCHAIR UTOPIA FLORIDA"

 

 

Part 5 The following is what we have built and we guarantee every person in the world, who uses a wheelchair and who is brave enough, will trust us, to vacation in Florida:

 

 

PART II

To enhance tourism to lure families from all over the WORLD who have a family member in a wheelchair our Florida hotels and motels need to upgrade their web sites to include pool photos with a wheelchair lift; showers in the accessible rooms showing the wall fold down seat; and how all the elements of the hotel is fully wheelchair accessible:
1. If a limo is available to get to the airport to the hotel &

back?

2. Is the wheelchair user pool lift installed?
3. Is the pool heated November through May?
4. Are buses serving the hotel wheelchair lift equipped?
5. Are taxi's serving the hotel wheelchair accessible?
6. Is the motel connected to a sidewalk?
7. How far from the motel can one in a wheelchair go

on the sidewalk from the hotel?
8. Photos on hotel web sites of pools must have the pool

lift in the photo.
9. If a wheelchair is available by the front desk

for elderly and frail who are just worn out and need a push.

PART 3
We need the

 

We can save over 500,000 jobs in tourism related jobs. Possibly create a million more jobs in Florida. The Florida Paraplegic Association (FPA) President has asked Scott to personally mail all pool owners that the ADA Deadline for installing swimming pool lifts is March 2012. This includes hotels and motels. It is essential for tourism that they meet the pool lift deadline. The legislature and Scott need to create many financial incentives to build more tourist attractions. Tourism must be doubled, and possibly tripled. In December the FPA will invite families, who have a family member in a wheelchair, from all over the WORLD, to vacation to in Florida. "Build it and they will come". We have built it, and they will come. Since 1974 we have been building a wheelchair and other disabilities barrier free state. Hotels and motels must alter their web sites and include a list of items that the FPA has suggested to lures these wheelchair families to Florida.

 

 

 

END OF POOL LIFT INFORMATION NOTIFICATION

***********************************************************************

 

Conclusion. The economy is not going to get better. Businesses will not relocate. Housing Starts cannot be counted on for many years. Even some major solar businesses have failed. Politicians have filled the newspapers with too many empty promises about jobs. We have lost jobs for 6 straight months.

-Denny Wood, Publisher,