Show - 1 1 A4 NATIONWORLD The Salt Lake Tribune Sunday January 26 1992 I Act Aims to Free Disabled From Barriers Barriers Al Continued from 113 Robert Smith 30 of West Palm Beach Fla was blinded by diabetes He teaches companies how to adapt the workplace for blind people But Mr Smith is riot convinced that the new law despite its wide potential impact will change the way most people view the disabled "I don't think the ADA will do anything for us right now because we need education more than we need a law that tells people what to do" Mr Smith said "I can tell someone to hire someone who is blind but what's really going to help is making people aware of our needs But the law will at least make people more aware that we're out there" The federal law changes everything from the way employers do business to the way builcUngs and public buses are constructed But there are problems: the law's language is so vague that no one Is sure about its requirements or enforcement Dana Millar puts it this way: "The federal government put this nice thing together called the ADA but gave no money for it and made it very vague" Ms Millar is blind and is the executive director of the Broward Center for the Blind in Fort Lauderdale Fla As the deadline for ADA compliance nears advocates for the disabled are finding that most programs buildings and services remain inaccessible "People are going to wait until it actually becomes law" said Karla Phelan human services coordinator at Goodwill Industries in Fort Lauderdale "A lot of businesses will not do anything until a grievance is filed" Mr Irons said he encounters discrimination daily "It's a lack of the Utah Independent Living ' Ms Mair in a wheelchair since a tubing accident 17 years ago stressed that "separate really isn't equal Never being able to do the same things your friends and others do is not equal" ) director of William G Gibson facturers Association-sponsore- million THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Utahns are huddling in lecture halls and boardrooms to figure out what they must do to make their businesses and workplaces accessible and hospitable to the disabled LeRoy Hooton Jr Salt Lake City's public works director has to figure out how many of the Wa satch canyons' 70 outdoor toilets should have wheelchair ramps and hand railings "Normally you wouldn't expect to find people with disabilities in the wilds" the public utilities director said So facilities for people with disabilities w'll be near roads parking lots and trails Work on each chemical toilet is expected to cost about $3000 "We want people to be able to use the outdoors" he said While Mr Hooton has the luxury of planning Douglas Tapking director of the Salt Lake County Housing Authority has to wait and see who is available for housing Because demand for the authority's subsidized housing is far greater than the supply the authority has about 2500 on waiting lists But the applications do not ask about a prospective tenants' disabilities So Mr Tapking must have an accessible apartment immediately available if a disabled person gets to the top of the list If not the authority has to spend as much as $15000 to widen doorways lower cabinets or modify a bathroom as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act The Utah Governor's Council for People with Disabilities suggests businesses covered by the act consider enlisting members from disability groups to advise them as teams d it quotas" Knight-RiddeNews Service contributed to this report r Table seating or wheelchairs require e these minimums: Height 2r Width: 30- Depth: 19 44 max reach is oraki side reach 4 i 7---- NT r-- '' - 11 1 ' - '"::1 !'' - t 111'):': 1 i I !' '‘ " it ' - i -- -7 1 w 30" I r 4 - inc FederSI Rog leaw i 1 i ' 4- t 1 IEmpioyment t puulalstict:cosaccemmssoocilaelions 1 1 ii ' k II July 26 1994: : 4 L Jura Aug 26 1996: Newly purchased or !tidied mass transit vertices must be accessible to the disabled Jam 25 1992: Most exsting public ccomm3dations and mass transit must be accessible to the disabled when modifications are "reasonably achievable July 25 1992: discrimination against Oisabled by businesses With 25 or more workers becomes unlawful Joni 25 1993: New t i 41 chair —e Employment 1 messintioo:rnime artivites stantially limit major-lifAlso included are those with a recoi of such imppirments or be viewed as having those impairments Recovering drug addicts and alcoholics are covered as are people with AIDS or HIV Prospective workers cannot be asked if they are disabled or about the nature of any disability Employers may ask if applicants can do the job with or without reasonable accommodation Businesses open to the public must make "readily achievable" modifications in policies practices and procedures unless they would fundamentally alter the nature of the services Modifications to existing public facilities will be required but only when they can be made economically Work could include ramping a few steps installing grab bars in toilet stalls where only routine reinforcing of walls is required and lowering phones so they can be used by people in wheelchairs New construction will face more strict requirements e than 11 tI op Innimum cioarance for Df890nOti ' iii 1 ! i :10( i i 1 Inbuno i 4 34' Chicago To qualify for protectior under ADA a jrt) applicant must have physical or mental impairments that sub- I - ' SOURCE do: -1 4 Quick Glance at What The Act Is All About Here are some things the Americans with Disabilities Act does and doesn't leJ So teems deadliskee- ' obstacle height - Ire Floor clearance is greater or equal to tonvard reach Ti 14 rri it 25- rr 30' re 24" max 25- max forward reach D 30' ft4iNoplat 524 unlavitui Otoartment elevators top the list Generally speaking privacy screens just inside restroom doors make using a wheelchair walker or crutches difficult Utah Transit Authority has That team might include a person in a wheelchair and people with vision and hearing impair- ments learning disabilities and coordination difficulties "Until you start looking at buildings at access as a person with disabilities would look at them you'll ever understand" said Duane Betoumay who is not disabled but has spent the past 18 months directing a state program to help the disabled live independent lives "Restrooms probably are the t common reason people with disabilities avoid buildings" he said Problems with ramps and been buying wheelchair lift-equipp- buses for several years and now has 145 of them — 29 percent of the fleet By 1998 UTA plans to have 95 percent of its buses Night routes and Saturday will soon use only ser- vice buses according to Kathy McCune UTA special services coordinator Inside Salt Lake City Interna third-mos- tional Airport terminals all facilities are wheelchair accessible And other conveniences such as telephones for the hearing impaired are already in place "We're also working on making the paging system accessible to the hearing impaired We're looking at something like a screen that continuously displays all current pages" said John Wheat Airport Authority finance administrator He said one problem area will be long-terparking which can be reached only by shuttle buses sound-booste- d - te 11 ' '''' - 1°' '''''Ll V-12:- t'' g - I 1 ar -:- ue y 61 s Does your skin feel drv taut flaky irritated? Comfort is here Introducing PRE SCRIPTIVES CONIFORT CREAM a For dry sensitive skin hr It's amazing how much a little Comfort Cream can do to make 'out skin feel young and protected Creates a sheer surface fen:ill!ianCe to relieve dry skin discomfort instandc Attr3CtS dr tals in moisrare as itscals out irritants to pro ide constant results of ComfAft Supi le roiection The long-ter- 4 41 (31'"IL' ii (:t:----- m 0--ki - v- - 't I I) - 1 :' r t 11toll lol it - - LI 3 skin Can you 13:'Ir trra9-mo!- I anu 1 110 friane vtin ComfatCream- -T7 oz So Is this guy just like founter somebody you know? Uniersity Reeehe a deluxe Ihie our Comfort Cn:a11 in CoNn'tctieA at Salt Lakt-- li:11- -' if'14 2z!: t? - D - f ' - 375- I - - - - - ' - : ' 1 - Pccrt I - 1 His hair is thinning his forehead receding a the top of his head is starting shine Offer him some Acivice Advice enhancement formulas for troubled haw has immediate 1 geode ftw Ve6NnuOiskMploftsailit with disabilities in the US The Americans with Oisabilitiet Act which goes into general effect next year requires most businesses to provide access tor disabled customers or clients and for workers with disabilities Retail stores banks restaurants hotets theaters doctors' offices an other public accommodations arq affected Only religious organizations lodgings with less than six units and pnvate dubs are exempt By Jack Fenton and Dave Jonsson program on ADA Bosses and workers alike must change their attitudes he says Dan Sullivan executive director of the Delaware Valley Project with Industry an employment agency for disabled individuals said: "Businesses are reacting very slowly I am concerned that I don't see much reaction on the part of for example retail business" to the requirement that all public places be made accessible "For the most part people hear about this law and they immediately think: 'I will go bankrupt This is impossible They will close me down or force me to destroy " my historic building' said Jacqueline Beilharz of Pennsylvania Protection and Advocacy Inc a organization private funded by the US government Larry Stansifer national sales manager for Curatech Laboratories which makes and distributes laser printer cartridges from a plant at Hurricane sees ADA as "something to keep politicians and lawyers happy This is cut from the same board as hiring non-prof- Gaining workplace access More Facilities two-third- d hearing-impaire- There are an estimated 43 Access to two-thir- ia MEM Disabled to Gain the Utah Division of Services for the Visually Handicapped says ADA -- will increase awareness that the blind people with disabilities can compete in the job market" He wants to compete as a midlevel manager rather than a blind person of Statistics indicate disabled people don't have jobs s of those want to but work And those who have managed to find work apparently aren't a liability A Harris Poll of more than 900 managers notes 95 percent gave employees with disabilities "good" or "excellent" job performance ratings "It's going to provide some challenges" predicts Wayne W Williams of Holme Roberts & Owen who headed a recent Utah Manu- s 1 : Cen- person If they want you to speak louder or faster they'll say so Look at the person you're talking with so he or she can read your lips If that doesn't work write notes Always tell a person with visual disabilities you are there Directions should be clear Locations should be described as clock positions or "nort" "south" "east" or "west" Speak naturally Ifs OK to use words like "see" and "lc lk" Petple with speech impairments should be allowed to complete sentences vithout help When you don't understand ask them to repeat what they said ing their individuality and abilities" Ms Wharton said "The term 'handicapped' originated in old England and implies 'one who begs with cap in hand' " Wharton explained " 'Disability' currently is accepted as the preferred term when defining an impairment" Ms Wharton suggests the following tips: Focus on positive turns rather than limitations "A person who uses a wheelchair for mobility" is preferred to "a person confined to a wheelchair" When talking to people in wheelchairs sit nearby and establish eye contact Speak naturally to a J Steven Mikita says he was born a "crippled child" During the 1970s he was "handicapped" Today he's a "person with disabilities" a phrase considered more sensitive and politically correct Utah laws will eventually be rewritten to replace the politically incorrect terms but no schedule has been set said Tamara Wharton from the governor's Council for People with Disabilities -When referring to people with disabilities keep their dignity intact by emphasiz ter People don't know how to deal with us" His experience has been that "people kind of pussyfoot around concerned they may say or do something wrong" To the 43 million others in the United States with physical or mental limitations — including an estimated 136000 Utahns or eight percent of the state's population — the act should mean "an in" to job interviews that sometimes are hard to come by All organizations with 25 or more employees must have taken steps by today to ensure people with disabilities have access to their facilities By July 26 those same organizations will be required to provide disabled people the same job and promotion opportunities as anyone else The civil-right- By Jack Fenton THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE ADA is expected to be completely phased in by 1994 "People with disabilities no longer will have to put up with using back doors freight elevators" declares 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