2006-04-26-COD-rpt - Laserfiche WebLink

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Commission on Disability Article 2 Report for Town Meeting April 24, 2006 Thank you for giving me this opportunity to update you on the work of the Commission on Disability. Collaboration has been a major focus this year - with other committees and town groups. Last year we talked about getting involved earlier in the planning process so we could avoid costly retrofitting. And we are doing that - we are part of the newly re- formed Design Review Team, the building inspector Steve Frederickson attends our meetings and we are invited to key planning meetings. We have been able to make an impact on new businesses by holding them accountable to providing full access. We are particularly pleased with Jasmine Sola's efforts to modify their front entrance into an attractive and fully accessible storefront. We still have a ways to go to meet the letter of the federal law, the ADA, enacted in 1990. And we need to go even further to embrace the spirit of the law. Embracing the spirit of the law means that we need to develop longer-term vision. We need accessible bathrooms in the town office building and a front ramp, but we understand that these projects will go on hold due to money concerns. The Boy Scouts are assisting us with a survey of what else is needed in terms of town accessibility. We are slowly becoming more conscious as a town of the needs of the disabled. One of the Commission's recent concerns has been the debate about sidewalk construction materials. Conventional brick sidewalks are very unfriendly for mobility challenged, as well as elderly citizens and wheelchair users. Too much vibration causes increased pain, spasticity, incontinence, and headaches in some wheelchair users. Bricks increase the amount of work needed for mobility and bricks have inherent changes in level, which can create tripping hazards. One eighth of an inch is enough to cause a fall. There are other choices. One is concrete in the middle with bricks along the sides, in what is called the utility or finishing strips. Other committees have rejected this, saying it was not good for the visually impaired, yet when we researched this we found that the color contrast and the different noises that adjacent surfaces make when tapped with a cane do provide useful way-finding cues for the visually impaired. This is what the US Access Board and the Department of Transportation recommend for cost as well. The other material suggested is wire cut brick. With a proper sub floor and proper installation this might be a good alternative. But we must be willing to commit to the cost of twice annual maintenance for this to be a viable option. And the town's finances may not be able to guarantee that right now. Adaptive Environments mounted a camera onto a wheelchair to look at vibration, rolling resistance, and slip resistance on different surfaces. We viewed this video and arrived at the same conclusion they did - that if economics were not a problem and the budget was open-ended, then wire cut brick is the best. But if economics are a consideration then the alternative that features concrete on the walking surface and bricks on the sides is the best choice. We need to keep this discussion going since it has taken so long to be able to all sit at the same table. But we need to be realistic with our cost estimates while we continue to keep the rights of the disabled clearly in the forefront. Thank you. Victoria Buckley, Chair, Commission on Disability