Creating Your Accessibility Plan: Removing Barriers under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA)

1. Readily Achievable Barrier Removal Creating your Accessibility Plan

2. Under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) • Readily Achievable Barrier Removal • Individuals with disabilities may not be denied the full and equal enjoyment of the goods and services, facilities, privileges, and advantages, or accommodations • Readily Achievable means “easily accomplishable and able to be carried out without much difficulty or expense” 2

3. Accessibility-Related PRH Requirement • Reference: PRH Chapter 6: 6.11, R7 (g) • Centers must complete and update annually an accessibility plan. The plan should focus on readily achievable barrier removal – easily accomplished and inexpensive measures that staff members can take to make the center more accessible to those with disabilities • This plan is not intended to be used to determine compliance for new construction or facilities being altered and is separate from the center’s facility survey requirement in PRH 5:5.10 3

4. Accessibility-RelatedPRHRequirementNew information (Program Instruction 12-18) • The ADA Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal was updated to reflect the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design • A new tool for assessing the programmatic accessibility was developed; the Center Accessibility Tool replaces the Center Self-Evaluation Tool • A sample accessibility plan is now available to give center staff members ideas for improving accessibility and a sample format for maintaining their plan 4

5. How to Use the Accessibility Plan • The plan should be used as a tool to get the staff thinking about simple ways to ensure that students with disabilities can have access and participate in the program on a basis equal with students without disabilities • Through annual review of your plan, barrier removal that was not readily achievable initially may later become so because the center may have the additional resources 5

6. Meeting the Requirement Architectural and Programmatic Accessibility

7. Meeting the Requirement Step 1: Assess Architectural Accessibility • The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines an architectural barrier as any feature that prevents people with disabilities from accessing or mobilizing through a building • Use the ADA Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal to survey your centers entrances and exits: • Are there ramps for access into and out of the building? • Are there lever door handles? Available at http://www.adachecklist.org/checklist.html 7

8. Meeting the Requirement 8

9. Meeting the Requirement • Use this checklist to survey your centers entrances and exits: • Are their ramps for access into and out of the building? • Are there lever door handles? • Is their clear floor space with a wheelchair turning radius? 9

10. Meeting the RequirementStep 2: Assess Programmatic Accessibility • The ADA defines programmatic accessibility as all policies, practices and procedures that permit people with disabilities to participate in programs and to access important information • Determine programmatic accessibility by using the Center Accessibility Tool • Are applicants/students made aware that they are entitled to reasonable accommodations? • Are students with disabilities encouraged to participate in all recreational trips and programs? Available on the Job Corps Disability website 10

11. Meeting the Requirement 11

12. Meeting the Requirement • Are posters recognizing the rights of people with disabilities prominently displayed for staff and students to read? 12

13. Meeting the Requirement • Does the center have accessible communication options available? • Qualified interpreters • Large print materials • Brailed materials 13

14. Meeting the RequirementStep 3: Develop Accessibility Plan • Recruit support: The safety and facilities maintenance staff should play a primary role in completing the architectural portion of this task. Other members of the RAC (Career Tech, Counseling, Transition, Residential, Recreation and Human Resource Managers, etc.) should assist with programmatic aspects of the tool • Create the plan with the RAC: Develop an accessibility plan with priorities and next steps based on the results of the barrier removal checklist and Center Accessibility Tool 14

15. Meeting the RequirementStep 3: Develop Accessibility Plan • A sample Center Accessibility Plan was created • To provide centers a sample format for maintaining their plan • To provide examples of solutions 15

16. Meeting the Requirement 16

17. Meeting the RequirementStep 4: Update Annually • Review and update the plan annually • Remember this should be a center-wide task 17

18. Program Instruction 12-18 • Program Instruction 12-18 requires center’s accessibility plan to be based on the new ADA Checklist and Center Accessibility Tool by August 2013 • What does this mean? 18

19. Program Instruction 12-18 • If your center does not have an accessibility plan, the Center Director should ensure the: • Completion of the ADA Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal • Completion of the program Center Accessibility Tool • Development of an accessibility plan with priorities and next steps based on the results of the ADA Checklist and Center Accessibility tool 19

20. Program Instruction 12-18 • If your center already has an accessibility plan in place, when the next annual update is due (or by August 2013 whichever comes first): • Reassess the architectural accessibility using the updated ADA Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal • Reassess the programmatic accessibility using the Center Accessibility Tool • Update current accessibility plan taking into consideration the results of the updated ADA Checklist and the new Center Accessibility Tool 20

21. Resources • ADA Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal is available at http://www.adachecklist.org/checklist.html • Center Accessibility Tool is available on the Job Corps Disability Website under Frequently Requested Documents • Sample Center Accessibility/Barrier Removal plan is also available on the Job Corps Disability Website under the Accessibility section of the Disability Coordinator Orientation 21

22. Regional Disability Coordinators • Laura Kuhn laura.kuhn@humanitas.com • Nikki Jackson nikki.jackson@humanitas.com • Kim Jones kim.jones@humanitas.com • Kristen Philbrook kristen.philbrook@humanitas.com 22

23. Questions 23