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Dear President of the Senate Senator
King:
&
Speaker of the House Rep. Johnny Byrd:
The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in
1990. Governments were to develop an ADA Transition Plan. This would
identify the barriers that were in violation of the ADA. The Transition
Plan would set timetables and prioritize the violations to be removed. I
am now asking to see the ADA transition plan for the Capitol as what I
have observed in place as ADA violations is listed for your information
below. It is now 14 years later, and I see renovations in the Capitol
that take away accessibility. Also, 22 floors of restrooms that people
in wheelchairs cannot use suggest that there may not be a transition plan
or the plan is simply not being followed.
I know that as leaders in the Florida Legislature
you would want to see this report on the Capitol
first.
ENTRANCE INDICATOR SIGNS
People
with disabilities coming to the Capitol, as guests cannot find the
accessible entrance. All around the Capitol, there is not one sign that
indicates where the accessible ramp is located.
This is a lack of correct signage problem, easy to
solve.
PARKING FOR
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
The parking for people with disabilities have went to
very bad to horrible. Security steps after 9-11-01 did not include the
preserving of disabled parking opportunities. The Department of Law
Enforcement has victimized people with disabilities as they treat us as
terrorists. Rather than work out reasonable parking accommodations they
would rather tow our vehicles.
At an early date during the Legislature I took the
disabled parking problem to Investigator Glenn Edrington. I suggested at
least two options to create some parking. My only response was a call from
someone in Management Services, who said he would approach the Department
of Law Enforcement.
Regretfully, no accommodations have been made, and
the session is half over. I suspect it will take a tragic accident before
the parking for people with disabilities will be addressed and solved at
the Capitol. Any half-good administrator could work out parking for the
disabled protocol that would keep people in wheelchairs from having to
park blocks away, using streets without sidewalks.
This unwillingness to make reasonable accommodations,
is in my opinion a flagrant violation of the Americans with Disabilities
Act.
A visit to the City of Tallahassee Mayor’s Office to
free up some of the “secure” disabled parking and create some more street
disabled parking was also fruitless enterprise. The mayor and his staff
have yet to create a single disabled parking improvement.
UNIVERSAL VIOLATION 1
The toilet paper dispensers in the Knott Building,
Senate Office Building and House Office Building are located too near the
rim of the toilet and located too low in the side approach toilet stalls.
Each time someone in a wheelchair makes a transfer it is a “knee banger”
and “leg and knee trap” between the toilet rim and tissue dispenser. The
ADA guidelines have two figures, 29(b) and 30(d) which clearly suggest
that a 19-inch high standard is required. In short all of the side
approach toilet rooms are out of compliance.
UNIVERSAL VIOLATION 2
Beginning at the lower level of the Capitol
Building every toilet stall is out of compliance to the 22nd
floor. This includes the toilet stalls on the Senate side of the Capitol.
This essentially means that almost all people who
use a wheelchair visiting the Governor, Cabinet Members, House Member
Offices and other Offices on 6-22 floors cannot use the rest rooms.
Worse, new partitions have been added to some of
these stalls and access has been removed, in the ambulatory stalls that
used to have two handrails that ran parallel to the floor. In these stalls
the one handrail is now completely missing. This constitutes a retreat
into the dark ages. It also reveals an implemented plan to evade ADA
compliance by not creating side approach toilet stalls.
These inaccessible rest rooms need to remove the
international symbol of accessibility as these signs just fool the general
public and staff that work on these floors.
Library on 7th Floor
The computers are positioned close to a table that
blocks wheelchair access if the computer nearest the table is being used.
The printers are on a table too high to see the controls.
SIDEWALK BLOCKED ON HOUSE SIDE BY
SECURITY VEHICLE
When coming from parking blocks away, the Security
Vehicle Blocks the Sidewalk. One must always get the attention of the
Security Person, to move the vehicle so that a wheelchair user can use
that portion of the sidewalk.
This is a very easy fix, the adding of concrete in
this area.
HANDRAILS MISSING ON RAMPS (FOR 30 YEARS)
The ramps to the Senate Office Building need
handrails on the ramps on floors 2, 3, and 4. They need to be on both
sides.
DOOR HANDLES NOT LEVER OPERATED
In the Capitol, Senate Side, there are many doors
with round handles.
Room 513, The Capitol, round handles.
Rooms 303, 302, The Capital
Office of the Governor, 7th Floor, round
handles
207 Capitol, Round handles, no maneuvering space.
Next to impossible to get out.
208 round handles, Office of Governor
206 round handles, no latch side space to get out
door.
215, 211 House Capitol, round handles
322 House side, round handles Rep.Cantens Office
MEN’S RESTROOM SIGNS NOT VISIBLE
The Men’s Restroom signs on floors 7-21 are not
visible to the general public and guests in the building. Further, the
accessibility symbol should be removed, as the toilet stalls are not
accessible.
RESTROOMS RENOVATED INCORRECTLY AND TOOK
AWAY ACCESS
Restrooms on 22nd floor newly renovated,
with illegal configuration and one handrail missing.
On the Lower Level near Cabinet meeting room. Also,
the latch side of door maneuvering space is not provided.
There are many others like this. The partition
color is a gray, false marble looking material. If they ripped out all the
partitions why didn’t they then install the side approach toilet stall?
ADA in reverse direction.
Men’s restroom near "Historically Florida" new
renovation, took away handrail, not a side approach configuration. Serves
the governor, cabinet and all entrance level area.
Capitol, Senate side, men’s restroom, floors 2, 3,
& 4, no side approach stall, and removed handrail. New partitions.
5th Floor Senate Gallery Area, renovated
rest room, wrong configuration, new partitions, handrail missing.
5th Floor House Gallery area, renovated
rest room, wrong configuration, new partitions.
RESTROOM BY CAPITOL CAFETERIA
This restroom should have been one of the first
modified. It is a required restroom due to the cafeteria. It has not been
modified and the maneuvering space on the latch side of doors to get out
of the vestibule is not sufficient.
WASTE CANS IN LATCH SIDE MANEUVERING SPACE IN VESTIBULES
The placing of trash cans, any size, defeats the
inches of clear space needed for wheelchairs to use to open the door.
The simple solution is to get rid of the trashcans
that appear as extras.
WATER FOUNTAINS
The water fountain on forth floor, close to the
House Chamber is not accessible.
Water fountains at the Knott Building designed to
be low and accessible are not accessible. The spout is too close to the
middle of the rim, when it needs to be closer to the user. We hope this
rim is adjustable.
Water Fountain near LL08 is too high.
Entrance Level, Water Fountain near “Historically
Florida” is not accessible.
208 Capitol, water fountain not accessible.
5th Floor, House Gallery Water Fountain,
not accessible.
REST ROOM DOOR CLOSERS
In the House Office Building the door closers need
adjusting so that the doors open easier.
STAIRS WITH ILLEGAL HANDRAILS
A series of stairs exist at the Lower Level leading
to St Augustine St. do not have legal handrails.
RAMP FROM LOWER LEVEL ILLEGAL
This long ramp is missing the required level
landings to stop at on the ramp. The ramped section is a straight shot up
or down with no level safety areas that on can catch their composure at.
PODIUMS IN COMMITTEE ROOMS
All of the Speaker Podiums in Committee rooms are
designed for people who can stand up.
Podiums have existed for many years that go up and
down accommodating every speaker possible, at every height. Since ADA,
they have sold quite well, everywhere, except maybe in Tallahassee.
REQUIRED STROBES FOR THE DEAF AND SIGNAGE
FOR THE BLIND
Strobes for the deaf have not been installed where
they are required. Signage for the blind appears missing. These items need
a complete review by an ADA Consultant who has the time to evaluate all of
the different floors, restrooms and other areas.
End of items noticed on April 1,
2003
In closing, each time I called Management Services,
seeking responsibility, I was directed to their ADA Office. Each time I
could not believe whom they kept referring me to.
I looked up their budget listing and concluded that
the State of Florida and people with disabilities, would be better off
terminating that budget line item, and using the money to hire a
consultant and begin making the corrections listed above.
The list is by no means a professional ADA
inspection. I just took in the highlights. And only visited one women’s
restroom (escorted, of course, by a woman staff person).
In fairness, if they have a transition plan with
the above items covered and slated for modification, then disregard my
harsh criticism. I am in fact up here to fix laws that the above person
was involved in gutting.
Tallahassee has one ADA professional consultant,
who could make a complete inspection. His name is T. Schmokel at 942-5505
and he knows an ADA barrier when he sees one. He is at least respected by
the people with disabilities community in respect to ADA.
Sincerely,
Denny R. Wood, MSW
President
Florida Paraplegic Association, Inc.
Damian Gregory, FPA Secretary, contributed to the
noted list of violations.
CC: Lt. Governor, Toni Jennings
Others after April 3, 2004
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