ADA Compliance - Do Better

Americans with disabilities are still Americans. They deserve all the same rights as the rest of us. Fortunately, we have done well as a country in recognizing that. We have established many laws and policies that have positively impacted the lives of many of our disabled citizens. We hold ceremonies to commemorate the signing of laws and feel great about how far we have come in creating an equitable society.

However, a signed law is only just that. Now is the time for us to take a real look at how we have done in implementing that law. The Americans with Disabilities Act has been on the books for thirty years, so why do we still have issues like in the pictures below? The fact is, there is no good excuse. We need to prioritize these projects and get them done.

As a Certified ADA Inspector, I can evaluate the compliance of any crossing or sidewalk in this state. In checking compliance, the issues I see the most include ramps that are too steep, uneven pavement or joints, lack of truncated domes. That is where we need to begin. Agencies will not know what they need to improve until an assessment is made by a qualified inspector. MNDOT has had teams of people actively assessing all the walks and crossings in their right-of-way. But MNDOT doesn’t own them all. Cities, counties, and private entities are still responsible for ensuring their walks and crossing meet the Federal ADA requirements. The evaluation process is not complicated. It can be done with an electronic level, a tape measure, and a notepad. Once the evaluation is done, then a plan can be made to replace the walk or crossing.

Granted, there are some areas that will never be fully ADA compliant. Areas that are geographically confined or topographically challenged are the exceptions and are understandable. For the others, though, the time for excuses has passed. Americans with disabilities deserve this effort. We have the means, we have the knowledge, we have the obligation.?