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President Bush Appoints Four New Members to the Board
On February 4, 2003, President George W. Bush announced the appointment of four
new members to the Access Board: Douglas Anderson of Wheaton, Illinois; James
Elekes of Union, New Jersey; Denis Pratt of Kennebunk, Maine; and Gwendolyn
(Speaks) Trujillo of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Anderson, Associate AIA, has been active in the work of the ADA since it first
became law. An Associate at LCM Architects in Chicago for the past five years,
he has assisted both public and private entities in complying with the ADA. As
an Accessibility Project Manager at the firm, he has advised various clients,
including Fortune 500 companies, on meeting the design requirements of the ADA.
Before joining LCM Architects, Anderson was employed at the Great Lakes
Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center (DBTAC) at the University of
Illinois, which is part of a national network of federally funded entities that
provide guidance and training on the ADA. At the DBTAC, Anderson provided
technical assistance and training on all parts of the ADA, but developed a
specialty in accessible design and the ADA Accessibility Guidelines. In this
capacity, he worked with the Board and Federal agencies responsible for
enforcing the ADA. Anderson received a B.A. from Wheaton College and an M.B.A.
from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Elekes is an adjunct professor at Essex County College in West Caldwell, New
Jersey, where he has taught political science and sociology for the past 12
years. He is also an adjunct professor at the County College of Morris.
Previously, he was employed by NJ TRANSIT, the state’s public transit agency,
where he developed and conducted training programs for bus and rail operating
and support personnel on service to passengers with disabilities. Elekes has
been active in providing guidance on accessibility and disability issues to
various community and civic organizations, including the New Jersey Council on
the Arts, a local playhouse, the Governor’s Committee on Disability, a county
transportation advisory board, and others. He is graduate of Seton Hall
University, where he received a B.A. and a Masters in Public Administration. He
is also certified as a public manager (CPM) by the New Jersey Department of
Personnel. Elekes became blind 23 years ago due to complications from juvenile
diabetes.
Pratt, a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, is a licensed architect
who specializes in accessible design and universal design. He has over 30 years
of diversified experience on a wide range of privately and publicly funded
building projects. His clients include state agencies, municipal governments,
school districts, hospitals, non-profit organizations, business and home owners,
large corporations, among others. Since 1992, he has been employed by Alpha One,
an independent living center that provides technical assistance and training on
making public facilities and housing accessible. Founded in 1980, Alpha One also
provides guidance on complying with the ADA and access regulations issued by the
State of Maine. Access services include compliance surveys, plan reviews,
worksite evaluations, workshops, and other services. At Alpha One, Pratt has
been involved in numerous access design consultations, projects, and
presentations. Before joining Alpha One, he was employed as a project architect
for a small architectural firm in southern Maine. Pratt was also previously
employed by the Maine State Housing Authority and the State of Maine Office of
Energy Resources.
Trujillo is an educator who also serves as vice chair of the Ohio Rehabilitation
Services Commission. She was appointed to the Commission by Governor George
Voinovich in 1993 and re-appointed to a second seven-year term by Governor
Robert Taft. She also teaches American Sign Language at Lakota West High School
in West Chester, Ohio. She has served as an adjunct professor at various
universities, including Wright State University, Xavier University, Northern
Kentucky University, Cincinnati State Technical College, and Thomas More
College. Previously, Trujillo worked as a clinical social worker and provided
psychotherapy to adults and children who are deaf or hard of hearing, including
family, marital, and group counseling. She earned a B.A. in English and
Psychology from Gallaudet University, a Masters of Education in rehabilitation
counseling from the University of Arkansas, and a Masters of Social Work from
the University of Cincinnati. Trujillo became profoundly deaf at the age of six
from complications of spinal meningitis.
The Board is structured to function as a coordinating body among Federal
agencies and to directly represent the public. Half its members are
representatives from most of the Federal departments. The other half is
comprised of members of the public appointed by the President to four-year
terms, a majority of whom must have a disability. The new appointees succeed
public members Patrick Cannon, June Kailes, Carl Lewis, and William Paul who
were appointed to the Board by President Clinton.
Board to Undertake Project on Indoor Air Quality
In developing and updating its guidelines, the Board has received numerous
comments from individuals with an acute sensitivity to various chemicals in the
environment, known as multiple chemical sensitivities, and to electromagnetic
sensitivities. They report that chemicals released from products and materials
used in the construction, renovation, and maintenance of buildings, as well as
electromagnetic fields and inadequate ventilation, are barriers that deny them
access to buildings. Many of these comments identify indoor air quality as a
primary concern in causing a range of debilitating physical reactions, some even
life-threatening.
In response to these concerns, the Board will undertake research on methods
for improving indoor air quality that will build upon its history of working
with model code and standard setting organizations. The aim of the project is to
bring together various stakeholders in a collaborative process to examine
possible actions that can be taken to improve the accessibility of indoor
environments. Those the Board seeks to involve in this project include
architects and designers, manufacturers of building products and materials,
building owners and operators, model code and standard setting organizations,
environmental and health professionals, government agencies, organizations
representing people with multiple chemical or electromagnetic sensitivities, and
others. The project is scheduled to begin later this spring.
Section 508 Standards Available in Other
Languages and Formats
Recognizing the international interest in access to information technology, the
Board has posted on its website translations of its section 508 standards in
Spanish and Japanese. The standards, issued under section 508 of the
Rehabilitation Act, apply to electronic and information technology procured by
Federal agencies. They provide specific criteria for computer hardware and
software, websites, phone systems, fax machines, copiers, and similar
technologies. The new translations are posted at www.access-board.gov/508.htm.
The Board also enhanced the range of available alternate formats by a adding a
text-to-speech version of the standards that can be downloaded from its site.
Known as a Digital Talking Book, this format runs on software that uses
synchronized speech and marked-up text files to provide audible output. This
format also offers advanced navigational features. In addition, the Board has
posted a version of the standards that is formatted for Braille printing. Users
can download a copy to their computer for use with a Braille printer.
Interagency Group Unveils New Website on
Disability Research
The Interagency Committee on Disability Research (ICDR) has unveiled a new
website designed to gather comments and recommendations on research needs for
persons with disabilities. ICDR, which promotes coordination and cooperation
among Federal agencies conducting rehabilitation research programs, developed
the site to help ensure that federal research efforts meet the needs of the
disability community. The site, www.icdr.us, provides a form for submitting
recommendations on research concerning access to technology, education,
employment, community life, health care, and other needs.
"We want to make it easier for individuals with disabilities, their family
members and other stakeholders to let us know what research issues we should
consider," said Steven James Tingus, ICDR Chair. The ICDR intends to use the
feedback received through the site in developing recommendations to the
President and Congress on policy and priorities related to disability and
rehabilitation research. The site will also be used to increase awareness of
federal disability research activities and to make new research outcomes more
available to the public.
New Resource Available on the Fair Housing Act
The Board regularly receives inquiries on accessible housing and the
requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). However, while the
ADA does address a wide range of facilities, it does not apply to all types of
housing. Public housing and other types of housing constructed or altered by
state or local governments are subject to the ADA. The ADA also applies to
facilities used on a transient basis, such as dormitories and hotels. Private
housing, including apartments and condominiums, are not generally covered by the
ADA, except for those portions that serve as places of public accommodations,
such as sales and rental offices.
The ADA’s limited coverage of housing is due in part to an existing law, the
Fair Housing Amendments Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing on the
basis of disability, as well as race, color, gender, and religion. It covers
housing in the public and private sectors and bans discrimination in any aspect
of selling or renting housing. Under the law, new multifamily housing must be
able to be adapted for accessibility according to established guidelines known
as the Fair Housing Accessibility Guidelines. The Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD) enforces the act and maintains the guidelines.
Recently, HUD launched a new education and outreach program on the Fair Housing
Act and accessible housing. Known as Fair Housing Accessibility FIRST, the
program provides guidance and training on the act, including its design
requirements. A new website at www.fairhousingfirst.org provides information on
education materials, training sessions, frequently asked questions, and links to
other resources. A training curriculum developed by a team of architects and
housing accessibility experts includes modules covering the requirements of the
act and other disability rights laws, enforcement, common design violations and
solutions, and access to kitchens, bathrooms, and other spaces. Toll-free
technical assistance is available by calling (888) 341-7781 (voice or TTY) on
weekdays from 9 to 5 (ET) or by sending an e-mail to contact@fairhousingfirst.org.
HUD developed the program through a contract with BearingPoint, Inc., a business
consulting and systems integration firm. Technical assistance is provided by
Adaptive Environments, a nonprofit organization in Boston that promotes
accessibility and universal design.
For guidance on design requirements applicable to housing covered by the ADA, or
to federally funded housing subject to the Architectural Barriers Act, contact
the Board at (800) 872-2253 (voice), (800) 993-2822 (TTY), ta@access-board.gov
(e-mail), or visit its website at www.access-board.gov.
U.S. Forest Service Posts Draft
Guidelines for Outdoor Environments
The U.S. Forest Service is preparing accessibility guidelines for outdoor
recreation facilities, including camp grounds, picnic areas, beaches, and
trails. The guidelines would apply to those facilities built or altered by the
Forest Service. Provisions are included for constructed features such as
campsites, viewing areas at overlooks, pit toilets, warming huts, among others.
Requirements for trails are addressed in a separate set of guidelines. Drafts of
these documents are currently available for review on the Forest Service’s
website at www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/accessibility/. The Forest Service
intends to officially propose the guidelines for public comment this spring.
After a scheduled 60-day comment period, the Forest Service will finalize the
requirements as a departmental directive.
The draft guidelines incorporate provisions from an existing design guide
developed by the Forest Service and are also based a report available from the
Board on outdoor developed areas. The Board’s report was prepared by an advisory
body it chartered, the Outdoor Developed Areas Regulatory Negotiation Committee.
The committee used a consensus approach in developing requirements for outdoor
environments and represented people with disabilities, owners and operators of
outdoor developed areas, designers, trail groups, and government land management
agencies, including the Forest Service. The report contains recommended
accessibility guidelines for newly constructed and altered trails, picnic and
camping facilities, and beaches. Technical provisions for trails include
specifications for the running slope or grade, cross slope, width, surface,
passing space, edge protection, and signs. The Board intends to develop
guidelines for outdoor environments based on the committee’s report. Further
information on the Board’s rulemaking, including copies of the committee’s
report, are available on the Board’s website at www.access-board.gov/outdoor/status.htm.
Access Currents is a free
newsletter issued by the Access Board every other month by mail and e-mail. Send
questions or comments to news@access-board.gov or call (800) 872-2253 ext. 0026
(voice) or (800) 993-2822 (TTY). Mailing address: 1331 F Street, N.W., Suite
1000; Washington, D.C. 20004-1111.
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