ADA Compliance_Wilberding CommunicationPage 1 of 1
Jeanne Schneider - My Bad
From: Katrina Wilberding
To: ,,,,,,,,
Date: 03/18/2007 3:56 PM
Subject: My Bad
CC: Kelly Larson
This memo is sent by me in my~ capacity' as director of PROUDLY ACCF_~SSB! E IKIBUOCi"F.', an independent organi=anon. h bd^"
TO: Mayor Buol
City Council
Manager Van Milligan
RE: ADA Compliance
Thank you for you efforts to make ADA Compliance in Dubuque a reality. So much will depend on
awareness and items in the recently adopted budget will go a long way. But awareness must start "at
home" so I have to tell a story on myself.
I have been in council chambers previous to this ADA initiative and twice recently. But it wasn't until
after my latest visit that I finally said, "DUH!".
The large door between the elevator and chambers requires considerably more than the ADA required
Slbs maximum effort pull to open. It has always been closed. Yet many other doors surrounding the
auditorium are blocked open. The folding chairs that make up audience seating were arranged with rear
and center access aisles to the podium much narrower than the required 36". Folding chairs are pretty
easy to re-arrange. These things should have set off alarm bells telling me to mention them
immediately, but we all get desensitized to things we see too often.
Kelly Larson has already taken steps to insure these very "readily achievable" oversights are corrected.
MOST oversights are nearly this easy to fix!
My point here is awareness: Please, remember to be mindful and vocal about accessibility. ADA gaffes
may be pervasive now, but if we ALL draw attention to them whenever, wherever, we'll be Proudly
Accessible Dubuque in no time!
file:/1C:\Documents and Settings\jschneid\Local Settings\Temp\XPgrpwise\45FD613ED... 03/19/2007