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8 <br /> Attachment B <br /> II[4A III[1N1�1(� E C0 k,�1,,,l1T Y1 <br /> NORTH CAl'?,C)LINA, <br /> Asset IMai i elmeiit eMce <br /> Jeffrey E. Thornliosoii, Drector <br /> MEMORANDUM <br /> To: Jeff Thompson, Director, Asset Management Services <br /> From: Brennan Bouma, Sustainability Coordinator, Asset Management Services <br /> James Davis, Human Rights Specialist, Housing, Human Rights and Community Development <br /> Date: October 14, 2015 <br /> Subject: Facilities Accessibility Subcommittee of the Space Study Work Group, Update on Activities <br /> Background <br /> On June 2nd, 2015 the Board of County Commissioners adopted a "Proclamation Supporting the Implementation <br /> of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)", and expressed an interest in engaging the disabled community to <br /> help County staff identify any facilities access issues. Asset Management Services and the Department of <br /> Housing, Human Rights and Community Development came together to organize this subcommittee to conduct a <br /> self-assessment of the physical accessibility of all County facilities. <br /> This advisory subcommittee includes representatives from the Orange County Human Relations Commission <br /> (HRC), the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD) and the Disability Awareness Council <br /> (DAC)along with County staff and the County building inspectors. These people are disabled themselves and <br /> have brought essential first-hand experience to guide our accessibility assessments. <br /> The most recent comprehensive accessibility assessment was conducted by our County building inspectors in <br /> 2007, but other focused accessibility assessments have been conducted more recently for some County buildings <br /> and all of our County Parks. Now is an appropriate time to integrate these focused assessments into an updated <br /> comprehensive assessment of County facilities. <br /> Progress <br /> To date, assessments have been conducted for the Richard L. Whitted"Human Services Center and the Robert& <br /> Pearl Seymour Center. Self-assessment teams include a disabled person or disabilities advocate, a County <br /> building inspector, and a County staff person familiar with the facility being assessed. <br /> These initial assessments have identified several areas for improvement. Some of the obstacles identified will <br /> require only minor adjustments to improve such as door-opening pressures. Other improvements, such as the <br /> slope of curb cuts, will be more involved. All of the obstacles identified in these assessments will be prioritized by <br /> the disabled members of our subcommittee before they are brought to the County Commissioners for <br /> consideration. <br /> During these assessments improvements to our procedures and tools were also identified, which will help <br /> improve and streamline future assessments. <br /> P.O. Box 8181 * 131 West Margaret Lane,3rd Floor* Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 <br /> Telephone: 919 245-2625 <br /> Fax:919-644-3001 <br /> E-mail:jethompson @orangecountync.gov <br />