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Update – Town letter for ADA compliance

October 25th, 2009 Leave a comment Go to comments

Update – Kenny & Co have posted on this and included a nice ‘atta boy

Not long ago, I wrote a Gazette column and several posts about Kenny Cieplik and Company and their blog The Traveling Wheelchair. As part of the prep work, I learned that the group had had a meeting with the Middleboro Town Manager Charles Cristello, OECD director Anna Nalevanko, and Building Commissioner Bob Whalen to discuss accessibililty issues. The TM agreed to send out letters to a list of businesses to ask them to voluntarily comply with ADA(Americans With Disabilities Act). The list, I believe, only included businesses with minor barriers such as a single step. Kenny & Co aren’t asking for the moon.

I asked to be kept in the loop on this and the town has been kind enough to do so. I’d like to thank the above-mentioned people for assisting Kenny in this and keeping me informed – something they didn’t have to do.

Here is a reprint of the letter in case anyone is interested.

If any business owners have any feedback, I would love to hear from them. Obviously I would love to hear “success” stories – how you responded to this letter. Maybe you were already compliant – I like to hear that too. Any feedback you have good or bad on the issue of ADA compliance – particularly as it relates to Middleboro would be of interest to me.

There is nothing I would like better than to get a couple of businesses that could give me material for a “good news” Gazette article on the way local business and government stepped up when asked to do the right thing – even when it didn’t necessarily add to the bottom line.

Dear ,

I am sending this communication to some of our commercial building owners in the downtown to bring to your attention a concern brought to me by a disabled resident and several others. About a month ago the group related to me that some downtown businesses were not in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility regulations. They provided a list of downtown businesses that they felt had inadequate entrances to accommodate persons in wheelchairs. We are notifying you because either you are the owner occupied business or you lease space to at least one of the identified businesses. Note that I am also copying the business owners.

I am asking your voluntary compliance to achieve improved access for persons with disabilities. Most of the access problems identified relate to building entranceways having a step or two that cannot be navigated by a person in a wheelchair. One way, for example, to achieve compliance with ADA on this is to purchase a threshold ramp (at a cost of under $100.00) and post a sign at the business entrance that the ramp is available upon request. We are looking into purchasing a few ramps to make available to interested owners.

It was also brought to my attention that there are tax incentives available for businesses or facilities that are removing Architectural Barriers which is equal to 50% of $10,000 of investment into renovations or programmatic access. Please see http://www.ada.gov/taxincent.htm for further information.

Please take the time to evaluate your entrances to businesses in your building and consider making the necessary modifications to be responsive to persons with disabilities in our community. There is a website that provides guidance to small businesses on achieving ADA accessibility requirements at minimum costs. Please see http://www.ada.gov/smbustxt.htm. If you have questions you can contact me at (508) 947-0928.

Sincerely,

Charles J. Cristello
Town Manager


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  1. Kenny
    October 27th, 2009 at 10:16 | #1
    Reply | Quote

    Hi Mark,

    I really appreciate all of your help raising public awareness of the importance of access for persons with disabilities. I'm also grateful to Mr. Cristello for sending the letter to the local Middleborugh businesses with minor barriers such as a single step asking them for voluntarily compliance with ADA.

    I'm hoping some local businesses with minor barriers provide some sort of access to us who are in wheelchairs. I don't expect businesses to spend a lot of money especially in this bad economy, yet a portable ramp would really be appreciated.

    I love my hometown of Middleborough and would love to patronize some of the places that have a single step. So I hope a local business provides you with a good news" Gazette article".

    Gratefully,

    Kenny

  2. bogofree
    October 27th, 2009 at 14:43 | #2
    Reply | Quote

    Will there be some follow up articles? Portible ramp is an easy thing to purchase or build.

  1. November 12th, 2009 at 17:29 | #1
    Middleborough Town Letter for ADA Compliance

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