Disability Access to Programs, Services &
Activities at SFMTA
What Directors & Managers Need to Know
Mayor’s Office on Disability
and
City Attorney’s Office
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The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
A federal civil rights law that protects the rights
of people with disabilities in employment,
access to City / State programs and services,
public accommodations and communication.
Basic Principles
 Don’t Deny Participation or Service
 Don’t Segregate
 Don’t Retaliate or Coerce
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Examples
 Denial of Service or Participation: A Deaf customer requests
a sign language interpreter at a hearing for her parking
ticket dispute but is told that this process can be done via
mail in her case.
 Segregation : The Better Streets Plan projects conducts a
community meeting in an inaccessible site with the
reasoning that people with disabilities can participate in a
specific meeting to discuss accessibility concerns
 Retaliation or Coercion: A bus driver who was confronted by
a wheelchair user at an ADA hearing, avoids boarding this
individual on subsequent trips.
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Affirmative Obligations of the ADA
► Physical
Accessibility & Maintenance of
Accessible Features
► Reasonable
Modifications to policies,
practices and procedures
► Effective
Communication
Physical Access …
We Know It Means:
ADA Standards for Accessible Design
They define the physical world of accessibility for individuals with mobility,
hearing or sight disabilities in a variety of indoor and outdoor
environments (recreational, pedestrian).
Examples:
1. On-street parking and loading zones
2. Crosswalks & signal timing (Accessible Pedestrian Signals)
3. Accessible routes and public sidewalks, street furniture
4. Bus stops, boarding platforms, transit vehicles, vending machines
5. Offices, meeting rooms, customer service centers, public restrooms ,
elevators
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Remember! There are design implications and trade-off for various user
groups…
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But Did You Know…
Maintenance of Accessible Features?
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It is a violation of the ADA if public entities routinely fail to maintain
in working order equipment and features that are required to
provide ready & equal access to individuals with disabilities.
Examples:
1.
File cabinets, chairs or other obstructions left in hallways or on the
strike side of a door
2.
Locked public accessible restrooms during normal business hours
3.
Poorly maintained station elevators & vehicle lifts that are unreliable
4.
Inoperable APS & turned off bus digital voice announcements
5.
Street furniture that is broken and in the path of travel
6.
Construction projects without an alternate circulation route
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Affirmative Obligations of the ADA
►
Reasonable Modification
We have the obligation to modify our policies, practices
and procedures when needed to provide equal access.
Examples:
1.
Allowing customers with disabilities to have a seat while
waiting in line at a customer service center.
2.
Allowing customers w/ disabilities to attend a parking
ticket hearing by telephone if they are unable to
physically come into the office.
3.
Adopting a priority boarding policy for seniors and
wheelchair users on MUNI buses.
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Affirmative Obligations Under the ADA
► Effective
Communication
The City must provide people with disabilities the
same opportunity as others to enjoy, receive and
understand information from the City.
When the City provides an auxiliary aid or service
to ensure effective communication, the City must
give primary consideration to the aid or service the
individual with a disability has requested.
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Effective Communication is Required in..
►
►
►
Customer transactions &
meetings
Public events /
community meetings
Information
dissemination
For Deaf / HOH
Customers
For Blind / Low
Vision Customers
Sign Language
Interpreters (ASL)
(ESL)
Large Print (sans
serif font size 18+)
Video Remote
Interpreting (VRI)
Tactile Maps
Real Time
- Brochures, maps, schedules Captioning /
& other print materials
Assistive Listening
- Websites & other online
Devices (ALD)
information
- Signage , electronic boards
& information kiosks
Open & Closed
Captions for videos
Accessible
electronic docs &
screen reading
software
Audio descriptions
Finally…Are your Public Meetings
Accessible?
Your Public Event Notice Must Include:
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►
►
►
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Accessibility features at the meeting site ( always
choose an accessible site for meetings)
Availability of auxiliary aids and services (BOS
resolution requires captioning for a meeting
w/100+ people & ASL for a meeting of 500+
people)
Contact person to request reasonable modifications
Time frame for requests
Public transit routes to the site (optional)
* Any video produced w/ City funds
must include captioning
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Do your Contractors comply
with the ADA?
►
A government agency does not limit or lessen it’s ADA
responsibility by hiring a contractor to provide a program or
service to the public.
We are responsible!
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A government agency must ensure that its contractors provide
programs, services or activities in an accessible manner both
architecturally and programmatically.
We must ensure contractors’ compliance through
contracts & permitting
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Next Steps for Full Disability Access…
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Provide notice to your customers about disability access
features & policies
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Implement division specific “ADA liaisons” who can ensure
accessibility in daily operations
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Become familiar w/ available resources Citywide & develop
policies in advance to handle disability related requests
►
Empower your staff w/ information, continuous training and
the authority to do the “right thing”
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Know & Implement the Citywide ADA Grievance Procedure
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The Mayor’s Office on Disability is Here to
Help !
For a number of ADA Resources please visit our website:
www.sfgov.org/mod
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Citywide ADA Grievance Procedure:
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Accessible Public Events Checklist:
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Accessible Public Meeting Locations:
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Resources for Programmatic & Communication Access:
http://www.sfgov2.org/index.aspx?page=496
http://www.sfgov2.org/index.aspx?page=416
http://www.sfgov2.org/index.aspx?page=398
http://www.sfgov2.org/index.aspx?page=501
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