[nfbmi-talk] Fw: another state building out of compliance

[joe harcz Comcast]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: joe harcz Comcast 
To: Richard Bernstein Esq 
Cc: MARK CODY 
Sent: Wednesday, July 04, 2012 9:41 AM
Subject: another state building out of compliance


Here is the summary of the State Library where public hearings on the rummied MCB state plan will be held. Note this was conducted belatedly by DTMB in 2008 and note these are only highlights of violations of program access requirements under ADA, Title II to have been implemented January 26, 1992. Also Title I of the Rehab Act requires fully accessable facilities for public hearings!

My Lord, the ADA is now almost 22 years old, 504 is older and we don't have program access for the blind and other PWD in state buildings used for the blind and PWD concerning VR programs? How ludicrous and how utterly discriminatory is this?

The State of Michigan needs to be systemically sued over these ongoing civil rights violations.

Oh happy Independence Day by the way. My independence day is July 26.

Joe Harcz

Segment from DTMB survey:
"Michigan Library and Historical Center – Survey Building #10 Page 4 
filled in for CACIL). To aid the auditors, the Department of Management and Budget provided Integrated 
Architecture with existing drawings of the forty buildings. Each State owned building was audited by 
walking through all spaces accessible to the public, taking notes on the building floor plans, and 
documenting the existing conditions (measurements and photography). Following the building audits, the 
representatives from Integrated Architecture were responsible for filling out the checklist. Each building 
checklist was tailored to the specific conditions of that specific building. After the completion of the 
checklist, Integrated Architecture compiled a building summary that listed code related and non-code 
related items. With the help of CACIL and the DMB, this list was then prioritized and assigned a 
preliminary budget to complete the most urgent. Michigan Library and Historical Center – Survey Building #10 Page 5 
Michigan Library and Historical Center 
702 W Kalamazoo Street – Lansing, MI 
Survey Building #10 
The Michigan Library and Historical Center is located on the Southeast corner of Butler Boulevard and 
Allegan Street in Lansing, Michigan. The Michigan Library has five floors that are accessible to the public 
(1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Floors) and the Historical Center has six floors that are accessible to the public (1st, 
2nd, 2M, 3rd, 3M & 5th Floors). The following is a list of recommendations made by Integrated Architecture 
& CACIL after surveying the building in order to address barrier free deficiencies. 
These recommendations are divided into two categories: items pertaining to the code, and items that are 
not specifically pertaining to the code but are recommendations made as a reasonable measure of barrier 
free accommodations. The only hierarchy in the items listed is that the items in bold have been identified 
as the most urgent priority. 
Accessibility items specifically related to 2006 Michigan Building Code Chapter 11, ANSI 117.1-2003 or 
ADAAG: 
• Replace interior signage throughout with proper signage (many locations have existing signage 
that may be brought into compliance by relocating it and only adding additional Braille signage). 
See photo 10_344. 
• Provide permanent directional signage throughout to help aide way-finding thru the public spaces, 
especially on the 1st floor. See photo 10_004. 
• Provide vision impaired grooves in the concrete at the curb cuts on the south side of the building. 
See photo 10_265. 
• In each of the eighteen restrooms, men’s & women’s on all floors of the building: 
o Remove one toilet in each restroom in order to convert two existing stalls into one 
barrier free stall. Existing side wall grab bars may be reused, but new grab bars 
for the back wall are needed. New partition door hardware must be operable with a 
closed fist. 
o Provide a power assist door operator where there is not adequate clear floor space 
on the push/pull side restroom doors. See photo 10_244. 
o Provide anti-scald wrap on all of the exposed plumbing below the sinks (this is not 
needed where there is a built-in valence that shields the plumbing below the 
sinks). See photo 10_224. 
• Provide signage at all non-accessible restrooms that identifies where the nearest 
accessible restroom is located. 
• Replace existing drinking fountains that are currently built into a counter top with ADA compliant 
drinking fountains. See photo 10_201. 
• Provide a power assist door operator at the following locations: Executive conference 
room (5th Floor), Michigan Historical Commission Room (5th Floor). See photo 10_218. 
• Provide Braille at the elevator call buttons for all elevators on all floors of the building. See photo 
10_025. 
• Provide an accessible height counter at the Library computer desks (2nd, 3rd & 4th Floors). See 
Photo 10_309. 
Michigan Library and Historical Center – Survey Building #10 Page 6 
• Move furniture in the Library to maintain proper clear aisle widths and walking paths (2nd, 
3rd & 4th Floors). 
• The planters on the 4th floor Library side should be moved so that they can identify the 
vaulted walls (i.e. protruding objects) to a person using a cane. See photo 10_286. 
• In the various displays in the Historical Center: 
o Provide alternate means of audio/visual/tactile communication that are available to 
all patrons. See photo 10_040. 
o Provide a fixed element (i.e. a railing, raised plinth or cane-detectable base) in the areas 
where display elements involve obstructions that are not detectable by a person using a 
cane (the specific areas are noted in greater detail in our checklist). See photos 10_063, 
10_088, 10_117 and 10_199. 
o Provide signage to identify areas where the flooring is uneven, or not level (the 
specific areas are noted in greater detail in our checklist). Also, a staff member 
should be present at these areas to help any patrons that need assistance, or a call 
button should be provided to page a staff member that can provide assistance. 
See photos 10_118 and 10_168. 
o Provide a handrail at all ramps. See photos 10_123 and 10_125. 
Accessibility items not specifically related to 2006 Michigan Building Code Chapter 11, ANSI 117.1-2003 
or ADAAG: 
• In the various displays in the Historical Center: 
o Provide proper hardware, and tactile controls, for interactive displays, such that 
they are easily identifiable and not a hazard for pinching one’s fingers (the specific 
areas are noted in greater detail in our checklist). See photo 10_084. 
o Provide closed captioning for the narration of all video displays. See photo 10_178. 
• Provide signage at the elevator lobbies indicating that the main reception desk for the Library is 
on the 2nd floor. See photo 10_341. Michigan Library and Historical Center – Survey Building #10 Page 7 "