May, 2009 – Accessibility Services staff recently had the opportunity to provide training programs on the Revised ADA Accessibility Guidelines and Self-Advocacy in the US Virgin Islands.
The programs were sponsored by the DBTAC-Northeast ADA Center and the Virgin Islands University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (VIUCEDD) at the University of the Virgin Islands. Trainings were provided on the islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix.
On July 23, 2004 the United States Access Board issued updated accessibility guidelines. The guidelines were updated in order to provide improved accessibility to the built environment, to improve compliance by updating the format and usability of the guidelines, to harmonize the guidelines with model building codes and to provide consistency for facilities covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA). At this time the following federal agencies have adopted the revised guidelines: The General Services Administration, The Department of Defense, The U.S. Postal Service and The U.S. Department of Transportations. The U.S. Department of Justice and The Department of Housing and Urban Development have not adopted the revised guidelines at this time.
The training program on the Revised ADA Accessibility Guidelines provided and overview of the updated requirements and focused on problem application areas in commercial facilities, existing facilities and special occupancies such as assembly areas, employee work areas and press boxes. The Access Board’s Accessibility Guidelines for Outdoor Developed Areas were also discussed. The US Virgin Islands reportedly has recently adopted the International Building Code and will reference ICC/ANSI A117.1-2003 for accessibility specifications. The requirements of the code and the reference standard were compared and contrasted during the training.
The second training program focused on the skills necessary to be an effective self-advocate. The process of self-advocacy was reviewed with an emphasis on applicable federal laws relating to civil rights for people with disabilities, letter writing, meeting with legislators, business owners, apartment managers, etc. in order to effect change that will lead to better access to goods, services and housing.
Accessibility Services staff have provided trainings on federal and state accessibility requirements all over the United States for designers, building code enforcement officials, advocates and other interested parties. Accessibility Services was excited to bring our training expertise and educational efforts to the US territories.
If you would like to learn more about Accessibility Services and our accessibility training programs or consulting opportunities, please contact John Rooney, Compliance Specialist at jrooney@unitedspinal.org or at 716.648.2131.
