IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1773 

Recognizing the need to improve physical access to many United States 

postal facilities for all people in the United States in particular disabled 

citizens. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 16, 2010 

Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut (for himself, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. 

COURTNEY, Ms. DELAURO, and Mr. HIMES) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Education and 

Labor, the Judiciary, Energy and Commerce, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 

in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the need to improve physical access to many 

United States postal facilities for all people in the United 

States in particular disabled citizens. 

Whereas in 2008, 12.1 percent of all United States citizens 

reported some disability, amounting to over 36,000,000 

people; 

Whereas in 2008, 16.9 percent of veterans, amounting to 

over 13,000,000 United States citizens, reported a service 

related disability to the Department of Veterans Affairs; 


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•HRES 1773 IH 

Whereas according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current 

Population Survey, the number of United States citizens 

reporting a disability is at a 20-year high; 

Whereas the Architectural Barriers Act, was first enacted in 

1968 to ensure that certain federally funded facilities are 

designed and constructed to be accessible to people with 

disabilities and requires that public buildings, including 

post offices and other Federal facilities, have at least one 

handicap accessible path and entrance; 

Whereas automatic doors, though not mandated by either the 

Architectural Barriers Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act, provide a greater degree of self-sufficiency and 

dignity for disabled United States citizens, as well as the 

frail elderly who have limited strength to open a manual 

door; 

Whereas a report commissioned by the Access Board, an 

independent Federal agency created to ensure access to 

federally funded facilities, recommends that all new buildings used by the public should have at least one automated door at an accessible entrance, with an exception 

for small buildings where adding such a door may be a 

financial hardship for building owners; 

Whereas States and municipalities have begun to recognize 

the importance of automatic doors in approving accessibility as Connecticut State law requires automatic doors 

in certain shopping malls and retail businesses, Delaware 

requires an automatic door or calling device for newly 

constructed places of accommodation, and the District of 

Columbia has a similar requirement; 

Whereas the U.S. General Services Administration’s Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings Service requires 


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automation of at least one exterior door for all newly constructed or renovated General Service Administration facilities, including post offices; 

Whereas over the past 5 years, 71 percent of complaints received by the Access Board regarding the Architectural 

Barriers Act have concerned a post office or other postal 

facility; 

Whereas the Postal Service employees 596,000 people, making it the Nation’s second-largest civilian employer; 

Whereas 7,000,000 people a day visit one of the over 36,400 

post offices in the United States; and 

Whereas the United States was founded on principles of 

equality and freedom, and these laws ensure that all citizens, even those with disabilities, are able to engage as 

equal members of society: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes the immense hardships that dis3 abled United States citizens must overcome every4 day; 

5 (2) reaffirms its support of the Architectural 

6 Barriers Act and the Americans with Disabilities 

7 Act and full compliance of the laws; 

8 (3) recommends that the United States Postal 

9 Service and other public agencies install power-as10 sisted doors to ensure equal access to all citizens; 

11 and 

12 (4) pledges to continue to work to identify and 

13 rectify the barriers that are preventing all United 


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1 States citizens from having equal access to the serv2 ices provided by the Federal Government. 

Æ 


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