[nfbmi-talk] another facility non-compliant

[joe harcz Comcast]

Note the following summary from the belated DTMB facility survey conducted in 2008:
"Grand Rapids Building – Survey Building #37 Page 5 
Grand Rapids Building 
350 Ottawa Avenue NW – Grand Rapids, MI 
Survey Building #37 
The Grand Rapids Building, also referred to as the Grand Rapids State Office Building, is located on the 
Southeast corner of Michigan Street NW and Ionia Avenue in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It has eight floors 
that are accessible to the public (Ottawa Ground, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th & 7th 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 37_045. 
• Provide permanent directional signage throughout to help aide way-finding to the conference 
rooms. See photo 37_099. 
• In each of the twelve restrooms, men’s and women’s on all floors 2-7: 
o Provide a power assist door operator at the door adjacent to the elevator lobby, 
and remove the second door leading into the restroom. See photo 37_061. 
o Remove all ancillary furniture. 
• Provide signage at all non-accessible restrooms that identifies where the nearest 
accessible restroom is located. 
• Provide Braille at the elevator call buttons for both elevators on all eight floors of the building. 
See photo 37_053. 
• In the elevator adjacent to the Court Room: 
o Upgrade to have an audible tone that will identify each floor. 
o Upgrade the controls inside the elevator to be at the proper height and include Braille. 
See photo 37_137. 
o Provide proper signage at both sides of the elevator hoist way doors on all floors. See 
photo 37_025. 
• Provide a cane-detectable object (i.e. a trash can) at the base of all the drinking fountains 
that are not fully recessed into the wall. See photo 37_126. 
• Provide vision impaired grooves in the concrete at the curb cuts. See photo 37_064. 
• Provide alternate means of public mail collection adjacent to the existing mail drop boxes in the 
elevator lobbies on floors 2-7. See photos 37_043 and 37_060. 
• Remove furniture that interferes with clear path of travel into the Huron Room (1st Floor). 
See photo 37_051. 
Grand Rapids Building – Survey Building #37 Page 6 
• Remove coat racks that interfere with clear path of travel to the Small & Large Conference 
Rooms (3rd Floor). See photos 37_084 and 37_085. 
• Provide an accessible height counter at the security desk (1st Floor). See photo 37_002. 
Accessibility items not specifically related to 2006 Michigan Building Code Chapter 11, ANSI 117.1-2003 
or ADAAG: 
• Relocate the fire alarm pull station on the Ottawa Ground Floor that is adjacent to the 
power-assist door operator for the exterior doors. See photo 37_032. 
• Provide signage that clearly identifies the accessible entrance route for the Ionia side of the 
building. See photos 37_060 and 37_061. 
• Provide signage at the 6th Floor elevator lobby that the DEQ reception desk is on the 5th Floor. 
• Move signage directing people to the Michigan Room, Erie Room & Huron Room (1st Floor) 
around the corner so that it is more visible from the lobby. See photo 37_044. 
• In the elevator adjacent to the Court Room: 
o Provide signage that identifies which floors are not open to the public. See photo 
37_137. 
• Add signage indicating that the restrooms adjacent to the Court Room (1st Floor) are not 
for the public and that the public restrooms are adjacent to the security desk. See photo 
37_022. "

Now here is another facility used for VR and other state services that is also being used for the so-called Public Hearings relative to the State Plan but which as of this date does not provide full program access which was required under Title II of the ADA as of January 26, 1992!

What kind of sham is this lack of enforcement on state actors of our fundamental civil rights laws?

Joe Harcz