[Nfbc-info] update on touch screen elevators

Charles Krugman ckrugman at sbcglobal.net
Tue Feb 10 04:58:19 UTC 2015


Last week there was some discussion regarding touch screen elevators and I said that I would attempt to get additional information. Below are abstracts from email responses that address this inquiry. NFB California may want to become involved in addressing this issue if it hasn’t already done so. let me know if I can provide any further assistance.
Chuck Krugman, MSW, Paralegal
1237 P Street
Fresno ca 93721
559-266-9237





The configuration described in the original email, a touchscreen without an accessibility function button, would not be compliant with the recent destination oriented elevator accessibility regulations proposed by DSA and adopted by the BSC in July 2014. These regulations were published on or about 1 January 2015 and will become effective on 1 July 2015. 



As Richard knows, DSA had extensive discussions with the representatives from the elevator industry, organizations representing the vision impaired, the City of San Francisco, building officials from other jurisdictions and accessibility stakeholders.



The destination oriented elevator regulations require an accessibility function button for both keypad and touch screen interfaces that will, when activated, provide audible guidance on the use of the system. As Richard mentioned these systems are relatively new; I would expect any person, whether or not they were disabled, to need some assistance from the facility staff or security personnel during their initial visit if they have not used this type of system before.



The detailed regulations for these systems can be found at 11B-206.6 Elevators, Exception 3, which permits destination oriented elevators that comply with the technical requirements of Section 11B-411 – Destination oriented elevators. Sub sections 11B-411.2.1.2.4 Display screen deals with touch screens and 11B-411.2.1.2.5 sets forth the requirements for audio outputs when the accessibility function button is pressed. 



As mentioned above, prior to these code provisions there were and still are very limited standards for destination oriented elevators within the ADA, consisting mainly of exceptions to the requirements for standard elevators. California, building on the work of San Francisco, is again first in the nation to address accessibility for this relatively new technology. 



If you have any further questions please feel free to contact DSA.





Dennis J. Corelis

Deputy State Architect



Division of the State Architect / Headquarters

State of California » Department of General Services

1102 Q St., Suite 5100, Sacramento, CA 95811

www.dgs.ca.gov/dsa/



Phone (916) 445-4167 

Fax (916) 324-0207 

Email Dennis.Corelis at dgs.ca.gov



DSA_Logo_Color



Certification Starts When Construction Begins







What Charles experienced was a “destination-based” elevator system.  Up until a couple of years ago, because cities/counties were allowing them to be installed without permits, they were being installed in high-rise buildings and were almost completely inaccessible to blind users.  The whole operating system was changed. The new systems used a computer system to organize elevator trips, so instead of an elevator taking people to multiple floors, the users put in the floor they are going to on a key pad, or in the case Charles experienced, on a touch screen.  The computer then organizes all users going to a specific floor into one elevator cab.  There are no floor buttons inside the elevator cabs.  Some bright engineer figured this whole concept out and it apparently saves highrise building owners about 25% electricity savings because the electric motor powering the cabs only starts up once on the way up and once on the way down.

Walter Park, who I opened the Mayor’s Office on Disability with in 1989 is presently on the SF Building Department’s Access Appeals Board.  One of the inspectors caught one of the installations in SF and forced the property owner to go to the Access Appeals Commission.  Once there, Walter and the other Commissioners actually forced the industry to meet with the Commission to develop local standards for making the systems accessible.  It was about a 3 year process (I may be off a year or so).  Anyway, once the Commission and industry created local standards, I contacted DSA and that office took what had been done in SF and made some minor modifications, but the SF guidelines were adopted by the Building Standards Commission.  

As far as the touch screen issue, those were just starting to be installed when DSA was going through the process of putting the SF guidelines into code language for adoption.  Dennis Corelis knew about that change and committed DSA to oversee the process to assure that the touch screens would actually be accessible for blind users or another solution would be required.  I haven’t followed up to see where DSA is with that process.  You might want to contact Dennis.

If you want more details about the work Walter and the Commission did on this issue, you can email Walter at: waltsfo at gmail.com

Richard Skaff, Executive Director
Designing Accessible Communities
15500 Monte Rosa Avenue
Guerneville, CA 95446
Voice: 707-604-3503
Cell: 707-755-1681
Email: richardskaff at designingaccessiblecommunities.org
Web: www.designingaccessiblecommunities.org

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