Albuquerque Among American Cities Facing Mounting Pressure to Resolve ADA Noncompliance Issues
As ADA compliance is once again back in the national discussion due to proposed changes to the legislation that have been approved by the House of Representatives, certain cities are facing mounting public criticism about their lack of compliance and pressure to correct those problems.
One of those cities is Albuquerque, New Mexico, where just a month before former mayor Richard J. Berry left office, the city was provided a report detailing its lack of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Now public officials are pushing the new administration to develop a plan that will fix those problems.
Among some of the problems outlined in the report:
- Fire hydrants and utility poles placed in the middle of city sidewalks
- Bathrooms in city facilities that have improper heights and specifications for sinks and stalls
- Lack of ADA-compliant signage in various city facilities
- Lack of warning mechanisms and accessible functionality for people who are blind and/or deaf
Many citizens go about their business every day without ever noticing these types of issues, but for the people who rely on features mandated by the ADA, a lack of such features can prevent them from being able to have the same sort of access to these public facilities that people without disabilities have.
The OIG report was submitted about four months ago, but the vast majority of the issues described in the report still have not been fixed.
The process of fixing all the issues outlined in the report will not be inexpensive. According to the report filed by the OIG, just fixing sidewalk and curb issues would cost the city upward of $400 million. That’s before adding in costs for new ADA signage, repairs and remodels of bathrooms and implementation of other accessible features at public facilities.
For its part, the city did release a statement saying it is “continuously updating streets and sidewalks throughout the City to ensure that accessibility is provided to all residents.”
However, with ADA compliance once again coming to the forefront, municipalities and business owners alike can expect greater pressure to fulfill all standards as outlined by the ADA.
To learn more about ADA specifications required from you as a business owner and how you can get the ADA signage you need at a reasonable price, contact us today at Erie Custom Signs.
