Creating your Accessibility Plan

Background PRH Requirement Meeting the Requirement Suggested Practices and Model Center Practices

Resources and Reminders

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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”

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Readily Achievable Barrier Removal

Step 1: Assess Architectural Accessibility Step 2: Assess Programmatic Accessibility Step 3: Develop Accessibility Plan Step 4: Update Plan Annually

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Reference: PRH Chapter 6: 6.14, R8 (a-e)a. Determine potential improvements to the

physical accessibility (e.g., ramps, elevators, adjustable work stations, restrooms, etc.) of the center, by completing the ADA Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal (a link to this checklist is available on the Job Corps Disability website).

b. Determine potential improvements to the programmatic accessibility staff by completing the program Center Accessibility Tool (this document is available on the Job Corps Disability website).

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Reference: PRH Chapter 6: 6.14, R8 (a-e)c. Develop an accessibility plan with priorities and

next steps based on the results of the ADA Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal and Center Accessibility Tool.

d. The accessibility plan will be reviewed and updated annually by June 30th (see Exhibit 5-2).

e. The safety and facilities maintenance staff should play a primary role in completing the plan with support from managers in all areas.

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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

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

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The 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

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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?

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True or false?◦ Readily achievable means “easily accomplished

and able to be carried out without much difficulty or expense”? True

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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?

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Are posters recognizing the rights of people with disabilities prominently displayed for staff and students to read?

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Does the center have accessible communication options available?◦Qualified interpreters◦Large print materials◦Brailed materials

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Create the plan: Develop an accessibility plan with priorities and next steps based on the results of the ADA Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal and Center Accessibility Tool

The safety and facilities maintenance staff should play a primary role in completing the plan with support from managers in all areas.

A sample accessibility plan is available to give ideas for improving accessibility and a sample format for maintaining the plan

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True or false?◦ Completion of the accessibility tool is intended

to be a center wide activity. True

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Review and update the plan annually by June 30th (Exhibit 5-2)

◦ Update your current accessibility plan taking into consideration completed barrier removal tasks or add newly identified barrier removal tasks

◦ Review your projected completion dates and make adjustments as needed

*Remember this should be a center-wide task

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Assign facilities and safety staff to complete the Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal

Use a portion of management team meeting to assign staff appropriate areas of the Center Accessibility Tool

Assign an administrative staff person to incorporate the findings from the checklist and tool into a plan, cut and paste using the sample plan

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Use a portion of a management team meeting to review contents of plan, determine any actions that can be taken, and establish priorities and timelines

Use a portion of a June management team meeting to update the plan annually

Get students involved; for example students in carpentry may complete sections of the ADA checklist

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Phoenix Job Corps CenterThe plan is updated yearly by a group of staff including the center director, maintenance supervisor, safety officer, manager of safety/security, finance and administration director, career development services system director, pathways manager, the social development director, and the disability coordinators

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Phoenix Job Corps CenterThe center’s safety officer completed 4 versions of the ADA Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal

◦ He reviewed the four distinct areas of the center’s facilities and completed a checklist in its entirety for each of the four individual areas rather than one tool for the entire center

◦ He collected and provided very detailed information about the accessibility of each major area on center

◦ The center has also made several improvements to the accessibility of the center from the plan

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Maui Job Corps CenterThe center has made several architectural and program accessibility improvements during the past year to include:

◦ Improving signage◦ Installing lever type doorknobs◦ Updating the safety plan ◦ Increasing size of font on certain computers in classrooms

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Paul Simon ChicagoThe facility maintenance and safety managers worked with the carpentry instructor to have students complete the ADA Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal.  Students pasted pictures to the checklist to support their findings and suggest improvements

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The ADA Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal was updated in 2011 to reflect the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, you must use the 2011 version.

The Center Accessibility Tool is the required tool for assessing the programmatic accessibility of the center, it replaced the Center Self-Evaluation Tool in 2012.

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During the regional office center assessment◦ Have copies of the ADA checklist, Center

Accessibility Tool, and current plan available for review

◦ Share documentation of any meeting minutes, etc. related to review of plan

◦ Share any progress made in improving the accessibility of the center through this process, it may improve the center’s score for this requirement

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ADA Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal is available at http://www.adachecklist.org/checklist.html

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Boston, Atlanta, and Philadelphia Regions – Kristen Philbrook

kristen.philbrook@humantias.com Dallas Region - Laura Kuhnlaura.kuhn@humanitas.com Chicago and San Francisco Regions - Kim

Joneskim.jones@humanitas.com

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