ADA Task Force Committee ADA Self-Evaluation memorandum sent out from Mayor’s Office requesting department contacts for Task Force and Accessibility Liaisons. 4A Mayor’s Office October 2014 October 27, 2014 Public announcement about starting City’s ADA Self-Evaluation Process. 4A Mayor’s Office November – December 2014 December 22, 2014 ADA Self-Evaluation process team formation. 4B ADA Coordinator December 2014 December 1, 2014 ADA Self-Evaluation training meetings on ADA and Process. 4C ADA Coordinator/ ADA Consultant/ CAPI December 2014 December, 2, 9, and 16, 2014 ADA Self-Evaluation intranet website development with ICS 4D ICS / Human Resources Departments January 2015 January 15, 2015
Time Frame for Self-Evaluation Process – Continued Actions Steps Responsible Individual / Department Target date to start Completion Date ADA Self-Evaluation Questionnaires/ Checklists distributed. 4E ADA Coordinator/ Accessibility Liaisons March 23, 2015 April 6, 2015 Return Completed from departments / programs. 4F ADA Coordinator/ Accessibility Liaisons May 15, 2015 June 5, 2015 Department site & interview Mayor and Cabinet Members. 4F ADA Coordinator April 2015 June 26, 2015 Complete Audit of returned Questionnaires. 5 ADA Task June 5, 2015 July 17, 2015 Public Input - Advocacy groups, Disability Agencies, General Public, etc. 5 ADA Coordinator/ CAPI April 28, 2015 July 17, 2015 Establish list of ADA compliance projects and prioritize each project needing corrective action. 6 ADA Task Force October 23, 2015 January 24, 2016 Work on final report and Transition Plan and get public input. 7 ADA Task Force / CAPI February 1, 2016 1, 2016 Mayor review and approval. 8 Mayor’s Office June 15, 2016 City Council review and approval. 9 City Council Office June 30, 2016 Public release of report and transition plan. 10 Mayor’s Office July 2016 Section I-C CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG AND THE ADA ADA DEFINITIONS The following is a summary of many definitions in the ADA and implementing regulations. Please refer to the Americans with Disabilities Act for the full text of definitions and explanations.
Ensure that in-house staff and consultants responsible for web page and content development are properly trained. Provide a way for visitors to request accessible information or services by posting a telephone number or e-mail address on the City’s home page. Establish procedures to assure a quick response to users with disabilities who are trying to obtain information or services in this way. Periodically enlist disability organizations to test pages for ease of use; use this information to increase accessibility. Use services that help web page authors provide an accessible website by identifying and repairing barriers to access for individuals with disabilities. Training and Staffing One of the needs most frequently identified by City departments is the need for more and improved training. Different types of training are necessary depending on the type of work and amount of public contact involved with a specific position. Standard City-wide accessibility guidelines, procedures, and trainings have not yet been developed for areas such as: Standardized, appropriate language for outreach and written material. How to acquire or use assistive devices. General evacuation procedures for buildings. A list of potential “accommodations” or program modifications that might apply. Recommended Actions: Provide training to City staff who have contact with the public about modifications and using assistive devices to make programs accessible. Ensure that customer service training provided to City employees includes training with respect to communicating with and providing modifications for persons with a variety of disabilities. Include program-specific adaptations, assistive devices, and modifications in each department’s accessibility training. Develop a comprehensive disability access training program. Educate all City staff in their responsibilities under the ADA. The City’s ADA Coordinator should be responsible for ensuring that staff members receive training. Reference materials that address special modifications should be included in this training. Develop standard guidelines for outreach and written materials. These guidelines should include standard language that appropriately describes the City’s policies on inclusion and non-discrimination, and staff members should receive training in using the guidelines effectively. Provide all City staff with ongoing awareness and sensitivity training. This training should include disability etiquette, and have a section that interacts with individuals with disabilities since it’s helpful to have them as trainers. Widely disseminate information regarding the availability and location of City Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf (TDD), and train staff members in the use of TDD equipment or other means of communicating over the telephone with a person with a hearing disability. Ongoing training for design, maintenance, inspection and construction staff with respect to building codes to achieve accessibility.