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“13 Things I Learned at the Winter 2020 ADA Coordinator Conference”

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I had the opportunity to attend the Winter ADA Conference in Phoenix. This event featured speakers across a broad spectrum of topics including ADA Basics, The ADA & Customer Service, Accessible Events and Meeting Spaces and Accessible Design.

Attendees included state and local ADA Coordinators, city managers, disability consultants, architects, policy experts and representatives from the business community. Most are charged with creating change in large bureaucratic environments.

Here are my take-homes:

1. Despite being controversial for singling out individuals with a disability, compassionate lanyards identifying those with invisible disabilities who need additional assistance are becoming more prevalent at airports and other venues. 
   2. Toastmaster’s Club opened a special division for the hard of hearing in Tempe, Arizona that uses hearing loops to allow deaf and hard of hearing people to sharpen their speaking skills.
   3. Braille literacy is declining. 90% of blind consumers do not read braille, but 90% of the blind people that are employed read braille.
   4. If someone complains about a compliance issue, instead of responding “we don’t have the $ to make that modification ” or “no one has ever asked for a ramp,” the best response to avoiding an issue is “ Let me look into this and get right back to you.” and actually doing that.
   5. What is a “reasonable” exception to becoming compliant? A. If it alters the fundamental nature of the business. B. The modification would pose a direct threat to health and safety C. It causes an undue financial or administrative burden. 
   6. When an ADA complaint is lodged, companies must develop a 3-10 year Transition plan that lists what changes they plan to implement each year, based on annual budgets.
   7. Federal regulations require that any company receiving government contracts must have 7% of their employees identify as disabled. Companies are having trouble reaching this benchmark and are now urging employees with hidden disabilities to identify themselves with confidentiality.
   8.  When beginning a compliance assessment begin from the outside and work inwards. i.e. First provide access from the outside-parking or access to public transportation; Second, entry ramp; Third, widening entrances; Fourth, Bathrooms
   9. Words matter, they call it “easy English.” The attendees were professional ADA coordinators with little influence on management or budget decisions. Discussions during the sessions included an exchange of phrases and approaches that worked to persuade superiors to initiate steps to accessibility. 
   10. There are many low or no-cost steps that increase accessibility. i.e., the pressure required to open a door can be reduced to make it easier for wheelchair users to enter a room.
   11. Obtaining approval to become compliant requires an understanding of budget cycles and timing. For example, the best time to suggest and implement accessibility changes for hotels is by understanding that renovations have cycles and accessible improvements have the best chance of becoming funded before the architectural plans are drawn up. 
   12. The DMO or city officials can mediate problems.  Tempe: One ADA coordinator received a complaint about an accessible hotel bathroom door that was not wide enough for a wheelchair. She met with the hotelier who stated that it was too expensive to widen doors for all of their accessible bathrooms so she suggested that he modify just one room until they could afford to do the rest. After the modification was made the hotel found the cost was less than expected and widened all the restroom doors.
   13. Website compliance is extremely complex. The acceptable standard WAC 2.1 for businesses is not really compliant enough as consideration must be given to not only blind and deaf people but those with the most extreme disabilities.
   
   I look forward to learning and sharing more in 2020.