Americans with disabilities are in a bind if they choose to visit and tour areas of Capitol Hill. There are many violations of the ADA that have been found that prevent access for disabled Americans. Many of these problems are explained in an article on the Care2 website.
“An estimated 94 million Americans have disabilities and 3.3 million Americans who are 15 years and older use a wheelchair. For these millions, a visit to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. is out of the question.”
A report for fiscal year 2011 that was issued by the Office of Compliance for Congress has found that many restrooms and sidewalks are not ADA compliant. This means that these areas cannot be accessed by individuals that have a disability. If the goal for Congress was to make areas off-limits to many with a disability, then they are succeeding.
Safety risks to disabled individuals are present when barriers to access exist. 84 potential safety risks to disabled people exist with 24 that simply prevent access. The House office building curb ramps also violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. There are 28 of 30 ramps that are note meetings any of the standards of the law. 20 of the ramps are also a concern for wheelchair safety.
The estimate provided by investigators has found that the cost to fix these problems is in excess of $1.4 million. The most troubling part of the report is that newly constructed buildings and areas do not meet ADA standards. Renovations to the library of Congress in 2010 failed to include provisions for disabled access to restrooms. One aspect of the ADA states that any alterations can be considered “if following the ADA would threaten to destroy the historic significance of a building feature.” There have been recent improvements to areas of Capital Hill including the installation of a wheelchair lift to the platform for the Speaker of the House in 2010.
If you are looking for more information about violations of the ADA, then contact us for details.
Image courtesy of Flickr, Hans Watson