Elevators – visual clues indicating up/down travel.

HOK has indicated that this feature will be provided

Bathrooms - Provide push plates for people with visual disabilities indicating Men’s/Women’s room.

Follow-up required on this suggestion

Request that Family toilet room(s) provide lower changing tables for adults with disabilities.

Follow-up required on this suggestion

Dedicate locations closer to field level or install monitors for people with visual disabilities.

Follow-up required on this suggestion

Ensure wheelchair locations will not be “bumped” by fans walking in front or behind these clear floor spaces.

This is not just a design issue – providing an accessible route to the wheelchair seating area leaves a gap for anyone to walk through.

Ensure color contrast on signage and at stairs.

HOK has indicated that this feature will be provided.

Provide Induction Loop type Assisted Listening Device (ALD) to accommodate people with hearing disabilities.

Follow-up required on this suggestion.

Companion locations - folding chair versus “readily removable” chairs was discussed.

Follow-up required on this suggestion.

Provide “drop-off” areas for Access-A-Ride buses closer to entrances of the stadium.

Day of game traffic is controlled by the NYPD, not by the Yankees. Representatives from the City have been invited to the next meeting to answer questions.

Rail Heights – concern that obstructions will obstruct view.

HOK can minimize obstruction to views of the field of play and can provide images that will demonstrate views from seating areas, but the building code requires a rail height that would obstruct views of someone sitting a couple rows in front of a wheelchair seating area.

Lack of enforcement - abuse of reserved accessible parking and access aisles necessary for a wheelchair user to enter/exit their vehicles.

Parking Garages are not controlled by the Yankees, but will be built and operated by the City. Representatives from the City have been invited to the next meeting to answer questions.

Ticket Policy - discuss abuse of wheelchair viewing locations.

Ticket policy will be discussed in detail at future meetings.

December 27, 2005

On behalf of the New York Yankees, HOK Sports Architecture and Tishman Speyer Properties, I wanted to thank you for attending our first outreach meeting on Wednesday, September 28th. The purpose of this meeting was to highlight accessibility features of the new Yankee stadium and get feedback from Yankees fans with disabilities. Our first meeting was a great success – the Great Moments Room was packed with fans that were eager to provide feedback! As advocates for people with disabilities since 1947, we were proud that we had such a great turnout as we begin to discuss issues that are important to all of us in building the most accessible sports stadium in the country.

In order to enhance our ability to communicate with each other, we will begin to post information on the accessibility being provided at the new Yankee Stadium on our Accessibility Services web-site: www.accessibility-services.com

Once you are on our site – click on the Yankees’ logo to access information on the dates, locations and topics to be discussed at upcoming meetings, as well as updates on the accessibility features that will be provided. There will also be an opportunity for you to provide us with feedback on the accessibility features that are most important to you.

We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting, which is scheduled for Thursday, January 19, 2006 from 1 PM to 3 PM at Yankee Stadium. We plan to discuss issues relating to the completed Design Development of the new Yankee Stadium and will emphasize issues related to accessible parking.

Additional meeting information will be posted on www.accessibility-services.com and distributed through a variety of list serves.

Please call me at 518-945-1606 if you will be able to attend or if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Linda Volpe
Compliance Specialist