The United States Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) is a product of the Architectural Barriers Act, which requires that buildings and facilities be accessible if, since 1968, they were:

• designed, built or altered with certain Federal funds, or

• leased for occupancy by Federal agencies.

The agencies covered are the General Services Administration, Dept. of Defense, Dept. of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Post Office.

Any complaints go to the Access Board.

I made such a complaint, about two post offices, and on September 6, 2001 I received a letter from the Access Board Staff, signed by Jeffery Hill, "Senior Compliance Specialist, stating I would be periodically up dated. They assign complaint numbers for the individual complaints.

The two post offices I reported had major life safety barriers. I cannot overstress the life safety issues of the barriers. 

I have NEVER been updated of any investigation.

This morning, I visited one of the post offices. The shopping plaza had recently repaved the sidewalk with expensive chattahoochee. The parking lot had been resealed and the two baby stroller spaces are still in front of the Perrine Post Office. Yet, with all this expense, they did not connect the sidewalk with the mail box so a smooth surface would connect the sidewalk with the mail box, making this mail box wheelchair accessible. This was one of the complaint items to the Access Board.

We have to thank the Access Board and their co-operation with the U. S. Post Office in ignoring the complaint of over a year. Future expectations are low. Why make a complaint? The Access Board does not address it in a timely manner.

Also, this Access Board, has apparently stood in the back ground while the U.S. Post Office has developed a new retail store plan that they have implemented in new post offices. At one new such facility there is a low cabinet/counter that projects about 17 inches from the wall display of items for sale, most of them unreachable from a wheelchair.

This store did provide a low section at the counter, but the cash register and attendent are not there.

As you come to the facility, you must use vehicle lanes to access the post office. There is not one postal box that you can access from a wheelchair, unless you are willing to get into vehicle traffic lanes. The retail section, when manned, does not have a low counter for people in wheelchairs.

We have the Access Board to thank for this new, anti-disabled retail post office in the Village of Pinecrest. At least this one did not use speed bumps, to further obstruct the route via the vehicle access lanes people in wheelchairs must use.

		In Miami-Dade we have a baby stroller ordinance. In the case of the Perrine Post Office, the disabled can park five spaces away in disabled parking. We need to cater to young mothers, with baby strollers. These circled signs are for baby carriages. Our Building Dept. is very much like our Elections Dept.
		The sidewalk has a small drop off into the grass. This is the Access Board progress. Redo the sidewalk skip the minor access problem.

Click Here to Return to Home Page