Action Plan For Buildings (or Parking Lots): Community Access Monitor Rights and Responsibilities

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Title

Action Plan For Buildings (or Parking Lots): Community Access Monitor Rights and Responsibilities

Catalog Entry

This artifact contains laws to protect the disabled with motor disabilities from discrimination and easy access to buildings, bathrooms, pathways of travel, etc.  This artifact is a part of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) under title 3, Public Accommodations. The ADA was signed into law on July 26th, 1990 by President George H.W. Bush. Title 3 of this law specifically focuses on public accommodations and protecting the rights of those with disabilities concerning employment, access to State and local services, transportation, and many other important areas of everyday life. These accommodations can happen anywhere, such as businesses, schools, restaurants, private buildings, and warehouses. In order for these accommodations to work, they must meet the eligibility criteria. This criteria includes:

  1. General - Public accommodations cannot limit those with disabilities from fully enjoying goods, services, facilities, privileges or accommodations.
  2. Safety - Public accommodations must have legitimate safety requirements for necessary function.  
  3. Charges - Public accommodations cannot charge and individual or subgroup to cover the cost. 

The Community Access Monitor (CAM) has made a huge impact on accessibility for the disabled. There are many accommodations that have to be made concerning construction of not only the outside of buildings but the inside as well. There have to be accommodations for:

  1. Parking lots - Measuring the distance between handicapped spaces to be sure there is enough room for the van and the levitation device inside the van that lowers the wheelchair, along with a ramp on the sidewalk
  2. Door accessibility - Measuring the door width, is it wide enough to fit a wheelchair, along with the threshold of the door (the bump or seal that meets the door), including a low level button to open doors
  3. Ramps - Ramp width, handrail height, the steepness of the ramp, is it accessible and easy to use
  4. Stairs - Measuring the radius and angle of stairs for those who use crutches
  5. Public bathrooms - Clear floor space in handicapped bathroom stall, hand railing height and placement. Sinks, height, space underneath sink for legs, soap dispenser height, paper towel dispenser height, same goes for unisex bathrooms as well
  6. Elevators - Button heights, width of elevator door, space within elevator
  7. Public - Pay phones, water fountains, sidewalks, especially sidewalks with bus stops, no grassy area, handicapped port-a-potty, restaurants 

The ADA regulations for ramps:

  1. The slope must be a 1:12 ratio
  2. There must be a minimum landing of 5’x5’ at the top and bottom
  3. There must be a 36” of clear space across the wheelchair ramp
  4. A turn platform of 5’x’5 
  5. ADA allows a 30’ maximum run for a wheelchair ramp before a rest or turn platform
  6. Handrails must be between the height of 34” and 38” on both sides of ramp

Public and residential accommodations play such an important role in the lives of the disabled. Yet, according to Improve Net by CraftJack, the national averages for a professionally-built ramp will cost around $1,841, which truly, is not that expensive. Along with cost, there are my different types of ramps that can be built, each coming with their advantages and disadvantages. For instance, wood would be the cheapest ramp, but with wood comes the guarantee that it would begin to rot and fall apart, and includes a lot of maintenance. Next, there is aluminum, but this material will bend overtime. There is steel, which is heavier than aluminium, but will rust and corrode overtime. Last is concrete, which is the best option, especially for public accommodations and buildings. This option is the most expensive, which is the only downside. Concrete is the strongest out of all four and is also the best option for permanent ramps. 

Another option, mostly for residential places, are transportable ramps, which are much more affordable than permanent ramps. These ramps are made of aluminum for easy storage and less weight. The downside to these ramps is that you will have to carry them in and outside. Most contractors suggest building a permanent ramp, especially if they will be living in that home for over ten years. 

It is important that these alterations are made; those who are disabled have the same rights as those who are not disabled. Many countries have a law that public accommodations be made, but it should just be common sense to make the lives of the disabled easier. The disabled play a very important role in society, and by building these accommodations, the general public has benefited greatly from the alterations, from those who have strollers to those who bike and skateboard.

Fitchburg State University did not have many ramps, as was true with other universities. Fitchburg State finally did a remodel where they replaced most stairs outside with ramps, including building a bridge connecting Holmes Dining Hall. There were barely any accessible passages for the disabled to get to class with ease. That doesn’t even include the accessibility inside the buildings, which were all stairs and unsafe lifts outside of the building that usually did not work most of the time.  

The Community Access Monitor Rights and Responsibilities continue to impact the disabled community. It is a bit upsetting to think that, in order to have these accommodations, there had to be a law signed requiring that the public take action to create an equal mode of transportation and everyday function to those who are disabled. Had it not been for the Community Access Monitor Rights and Responsibility and Americans With Disabilities Act, there would be no required public accommodations, which would feed into the disabled community being isolated from society. It would be extremely difficult for those who use a wheelchair to go to school, find an easy method of transportation, and even be able to find a home or apartment that is easy to access.

Bibliography

Craft, Jack. “How Much Does It Cost To Build A Handicap Ramp?” 2019 Wheelchair Ramp Cost | Handicap Ramp Cost Calculator, 2019, www.improvenet.com/r/costs-and-prices/handicap-ramp-cost.

“The Current ADA Regulations.” Americans with Disabilities Act, www.ada.gov/2010_regs.htm.

“Disability Law.” Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, 2010, www.law.cornell.edu/wex/disability_law.

Rogers, Jakira. “CAM.” Community Access Monitor Program, 2017, greenfield-ma.gov/files/CAM_Training_-_Day_2_Slides.pdf.

“Section 4. Ensuring Access for People with Disabilities.” Community Tool Box, Center for Community Health and Development at the University of Kansas, 2019, ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/implement/physical-social-environment/housing-accessibility-disabilities/main.

Artifact Owner

Fitchburg Historical Society

Artifact Condition

The artifact is in good condition. Paper seems to be a bit yellow, warn.

Artifact Material

This artifact is typed and printed on white paper. Could possibly be copy of originally artifact. Includes typed title and numbered laws.

Catalog Entry Author(s)

Yahssyniah Pitts, Student, Fitchburg State University

Editor(s)

Jhier Littles, Student, Fitchburg State University

Photographer(s)

Yahssyniah Pitts, Student, Fitchburg State University

Collection

Citation

“Action Plan For Buildings (or Parking Lots): Community Access Monitor Rights and Responsibilities,” Cultural Heritage through Image, accessed March 28, 2024, https://culturalheritagethroughimage.omeka.net/items/show/87.

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