HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0756.008 1996-1998
G~ ishts
Rights
HaR-aii P.O. Boy 5575, Hilo, nl 96720 (808) 935-1871
odu'ng mPether tot acc,s
It 1798
Counter Council Member
County ofHa»aii
Hilo- Hl 96720
Dear Council Members.
m NoNember 18 you Ill be considering a C1P bond issue for meat. million
dollars. It is our understanding that this amount Nv ill cover the projected expenses of the
Court settlements for the ADA laNr suits on curb cuts and Parks and Recreation. We
understand that the S20 million is not intended to cover am of the other accessibility
mproNements mandated b\ the ADA. We ar,-e ou to consider increasing the size of the
bond by 4 million dollars for other ADA accessibilithimprovements across the island.
The CountN must llmy realize that the costs of settling a Imv suit are much higher
than the costs of roluntar% compliumee. -the m o ADA ILM suits that have recentIv been
settled cov er only a part of the Cotmt%'s ADA responsibilities. The Count.\ should take a
pro-active stance on all ADA ic,ponsibilities. not just those coNeyed b\ Imv suits. You
should not send the message that the oub, An.v to get accessibilit-\ from the Cotmt~ of
Haw all is to sue for it.
\Ne urge that the follw im facilities be added to the bond issue
I The Counter Building and the Tax Ctllice.
2 Public areas of Police and Fire stations in nll Districts.
3. Senior Centers in all Districts.
4. Facilities around all children's playgrounds.
Hilo Ba.\front improrements. including Coconut Island.
111,1111 voil for N our consideration. A separate sheet is attached i1 ith background
information on some of these projects.
Sincereh.
4,
Ron Amundson. Secretary
Disability Rights Hax\aii
p Box 55 ~Qg
Hilo. HI 967200o mm.
We No. N ND
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Background on CIP Bond Amendment
11 17 98
1. Count. Building: In 1995 DRH and the Mayor's Committee iyere 2i% en assurances
that the County Building would be rerimated for accessibility during 1996. This teas
not done. reportedly because of the plans to relocate County offices to the Penms
Building. But the offices remain vv here they are. and remain very inaccessible. The
architect's suryeN has already been done for this building. To some people this looks
like stall tactics. (We kiimN of one local business that has claimed for fire years that
it ould be ntoyinL "nest year" as an excuse v\h,\ they didn't become accessible this
year. We understand that that business ~~as recently sued.)
2. Tax Office: DRH received a complaint from an out of state wheelchair user «ho ryas
told at tite Tax Office that they had no table at ~N hich lie could inspect the tax maps.
All counters are inaccessible. He had to leayc \N ithout doing his business. (This
complaint has not Net been pas~ed on to the Administration We are \yaitiug for
permission from the complainant.)
3. Senior Centers: DRH vv as im ok ed in an inspection of a Senior Center which is
party inaccessible. It «as reported that the Senior vohntteers tylto administer the
Center had. on their mN it. decided that ~yheelchairs «ould not be allrn~ ed. Wheelchair
users Nv ere told that they could not brine their heelchairs to the Center. The
volunteers v\ ere afraid that if the inaccessibiIt h of the Center vas made obvious by
the presence of iyheeIchairs. the Center ~v ould be closed down by the County. This is
blatantly illegal discrimination against people v~ ith disabilities. (This complaint iyas
made to Protection and Advocacy. not to DRH. We only did the inspection. and do
not knm v the present status of the complaint.)
d. Items 3. 4. and parts of 5 miLlit be cmy!red in the Parks and Recreation settlement.
Ncyertheless. they are of hiLh enouLh priority that eye feel targeted funding is
justified. But much of the Bay front project is ne« development. and so not covered
by the settlement. Still it is important to the accessibility of our Island.