Accessible Assignment

Christoph Ingram
Dec 6th, 2014
PID: 4287816
LEI 3707

South-Dade Family Center

Before my physical and programmatic accessibility survey of the South Dade Family
Center; I just assumed that as long as I saw a handicap ramp anywhere that automatically meant
that place was handicap accessible or it meant that it cater to individuals with disabilities. I have
to say I was ignorant to this particular subject. After completing my survey; my whole
perspective changed towards what is exactly a handicap accessible place. During the survey I
was surprised that some areas I assumed that would be considered accessible, were not
accessible according to the ADA law.
When I first arrived at the South Dade Family Center I automatically saw that they had
several accessible parking spots; with eight spots to be exact. Then I looked towards the
entrance of the center and I recognize that they had no stairs to enter the facility. By this time, in
my mind I just assumed and concluded that this facility will be up to date with all regulations
according to the ADA guidelines; but I continued on with the survey with priority 1; with
analyzing the approach and entrance. While I was surveying the parking lot; I noticed the
parking lot lacked a vital parking spot, a spot for a van accessible space. Which states For every
6 or fraction of 6 parking spaces required by the table in the Survey, at least 1 should be a van
accessible space. If constructed before 3/15/2012, parking is compliant if at least 1 in every 8
accessible spaces is van accessible. (The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 2011) The
reason I felt they are missing a vital parking spot because it can discourage others with
disabilities that may use a handicap accessible van to travel to the South Dade Family Center.
When I noticed how that may discourage others from traveling to the center; I automatically
notice that the lack of an accessible van spot is a barrier for people with disabilities that travel in
a van. A barrier makes it difficult for individuals and discourage them. (Dattilo, 1999) The
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solution to help create a barrier free environment would be to reconfigure by repainting lines. By
reconfiguring and painting the lines, it can provide a van-accessible space(s) and help deal with
the others parking issues. For example the other parking issues consist of measurements and the
width of the accessible spots and access aisles marked to discourage parking in them.
As I saw how in priority 1 that everything was not up to date according to the ADA
guidelines. Therefore I went into the priority 2 part of the survey (which is the access to services
and goods) not expecting them to be completely up to date with the ADA guidelines. Priority 2
dealt with more measurement s than priority 1. When I began surveying the things that were
visible without me measuring were up to date for examples, standard # 2.1-2.5; and they dealt
with: direct access to the main floor, lobby and elevator, public spaces on at least one accessible
route, and the route being stable, firm and slip-resistant. As I went through the checklist I saw
that they were asking how steep the slope; but the whole facility is flat. The South Dade Family
Center probably assumed since the facility was on a flat surface they did not need to install any
slopes; but if your facility has any area that you have to step over you would need a slope, ramp,
and/or handrail. Actually there are neither ramps nor handrails at the South Dade Family Center.
These are major barriers for individuals that are in a wheelchair or in crutches that may need to
use the handrails. The solution for this would be to be to build some ramps and attached
handrails around the inside building. Other from that priority 2 did not have too many issues.
They had a full size elevator which the interior at least 54 inches deep by at least 36 inches wide
with at least 16 square feet of clear floor area. I also noticed that there is no lift at all in the
building.
After I went through priority 2 I was definitely looking for priority 3 (which is toilet
rooms) not to be completely up to date. As I went through the survey part at priority 3 I realize
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that South Dade Family Center completely checked out, they were all up to date when it came to
ADA the guidelines. Standard # 3.1- 3.5 all accommodated to individuals with disabilities.
Priority 4 consisted of additional access, such as: drinking fountains and public
telephones should be accessible to people with disabilities. As far as the checklist for the
drinking fountains everything was up to date. When it was time to check out the telephones, that
was a different story. The main fault I found out when I was surveying the telephone; was they
did not have a TTY. The TTY is very important considering that is how individuals who hearing
impaired or deaf communicate through the phone. The best solution to the phone problem is too
installing a TTY, so it can be accessible for individuals that are deaf or hearing impaired.
The International Disability Rights Monitor (IDRM) is an international grass-roots
research project designed to document and assess the status of people living with disabilities
worldwide. IDRM produces reports of living conditions of peoples with disabilities in different
regions of the world. (Disability Rights Fund) As far as the country I decided to compare
Jamaica disability rights with the United States. I decided to choose Jamaica because I am
Jamaican, therefore I seen the difference between the two countries first hand. While I was doing
some research on Jamaica I came across a news article Jamaica: Ensure Voting Access for
People with Disabilities (Human Rights Watch, 2011). While I was reading this article I noticed
how the disability rights were completely different. I felt that for a country to have to ensure that
there would be access to voting for individuals with disabilities was completely absurd and
unacceptable. I could not imagine that issue taking place in The United States. Also as I
continued to research, and I saw another article about how Jamaica is not working diligently
enough to remove these barriers from the disabled community. In this article it speaks about the
National Disabled Act. The article goes on to described the significant of this bill if it is enacted
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it will promote, protect and facilitate the full and equal enjoyment of all fundamental rights and
freedoms by persons with a disability in education, training, employment, political office, public
life, health care, housing and public transportation. Additionally, the Bill will legislatively
establish the Jamaica Council for Persons with DisabilityJamaica then the governments
dedication to resource allocation for the disabled and the fostering and safeguarding of their
human rights certainly becomes questionable. Each successive governments attitude towards the
unimplemented 13-year-old strategy, which would inevitably protect the rights of marginalized
citizens, is, not only pitiable it is also flippant and offensive. (Christie, 2013) Just from seeing
this issues taking place in 2013 utterly shocking. In the United States we have seen the disability
movement taking place decades before 2013 to help ensure individuals with disabilities equal
opportunities. Jamaica is clearly years behind The United States when it comes to disability
rights.
I have to say Americans with Disabilities Act impacted the country in a positive way. Not
only did they help break barriers but they are continuing to make this country a barrier free
country. The Americans with Disabilities Act did not just give hope to individuals but it turned
that hope into reality. You see individuals that have disabilities that are success and you do not
even look at them about their disabilities, but what they are contributing. For example, you see
one of the smartest people in the world if not the smartest is, Stephen Hawking. Even though he
is not from the United States you see him in the lot of popular media that shows here in the
states. So I can say that the Americans with Disabilities Act help improve the society here in the
United States.

Bibliography
Christie, K. (2013, Pctober 7). Successive Jamaican governments crippling Jamaicas disabled .
Retrieved from The Washington Times:
http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/uprising-caribbeanperspective/2013/oct/7/successive-jamaican-governments-crippling-jamaicas/
Dattilo, J. (1999). Inclusive Leisure Services . State College: Venture Publishing Inc.
Disability Rights Fund. (n.d.). Building community capacity to achieve the human rights of all persons
with disabilities . Retrieved from Disability Rights Fund:
http://www.disabilityrightsfund.org/resource/international-disability-rights-monitor.html
Human Rights Watch. (2011, December 22). Jamaica: Ensure Voting Access for People With Disabilities.
Retrieved from HUman Rights Watch: http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/12/22/jamaica-ensurevoting-access-people-disabilities
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). (2011). ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities. Retrieved
from The New England ADA Center: http://adachecklist.org/checklist.html

Parkview Hall
1599 SW 113 Avenues
Miami, FL 33174

December 6, 2014

South Dade Family Center

9355 SW 134th St
Miami FL

Dear, Barbara Nunez

I am grateful that you allowed me to survey your magnificent facility. I truly appreciate it and I
cannot thank you enough for giving me the opportunity. For the most part your facility is up to
date according to the ADA guidelines. However, there are just a few changes I would like to
suggest to help make the South Dade Family Center a better facility.
I noticed that your facility did not have a parking spot for a van accessible space. To address and
solve this problem, I would recommend just reconfiguring the parking lot and repainting the
lines. Another suggestion that I would like to mention would be building a ramp, and a handrail
inside the building to better allow disabled individuals to move more freely. In addition,
installing a TTY on the phones would be very beneficial for individuals who have hearing
impairment.
Those were just a few recommendations to make your beautiful facility more accessible for
individual with disabilities. Once again I would like to thank you for allowing me to take this
survey at your facility. I am truly grateful.

Sincerely,
Christoph Ingram