tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15270008.post1953078831943545936..comments2024-02-26T15:42:28.778-08:00Comments on Composite: thoughts on poetics & tech: Hacking City HallUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15270008.post-30688919235510851822007-12-27T23:58:00.000-08:002007-12-27T23:58:00.000-08:00I'm not sure what the political setup is where you...I'm not sure what the political setup is where you live, but where I live we have a disability issues board. Is there something like it where you live? Like the zoning board or the licensing board, it is made up of residents who volunteer to show up to the meetings, once or twice a month; members of the board can nominate new members who are approved by the Town Manager. Depending on the board, sometimes members are approved by the Town Council. <BR/><BR/>The Commission on Disability board has the right to call the DPW commissioner before them and have a hearing on any subject that the board members feel is important. They can also recommend items to be brought up by the town council. <BR/><BR/>We recently had a major reworking of the intersection around the town square, and disability board members reviewed all the plans to ensure that the town actually put the required by law accessibility features in place -- and in fact got the town to do much more, including pulling out brand new but improperly installed crosswalk "rumble strips." These strips are textured things on the curb cut that someone who's visually impaired and using a cane can use to let them know exactly where the sidewalk ends and the street begins. <BR/><BR/>Ours has done so much to ensure that the town does projects right that if a town doesn't have a board of this type, I have to ask, Why not?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03566535346829346670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15270008.post-49743012235198338482007-09-06T22:16:00.000-07:002007-09-06T22:16:00.000-07:00I lied. One more. "Municipalities violate title I...I lied. One more. <BR/><BR/>"Municipalities violate title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act when they fail to install curb ramps during street and sidewalk construction and alteration."<BR/><BR/>My street was resurfaced within the last couple of years. So if they try to make me pay half the cost of curb cuts ... they will be extra violating the law.Lizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02650178982186311590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15270008.post-73394402426986575792007-09-06T21:53:00.000-07:002007-09-06T21:53:00.000-07:00One more link. clearly i need a new post.http://ww...One more link. clearly i need a new post.<BR/><BR/>http://www.redwoodcity.org/publicworks/streets/sidewalks.htm<BR/><BR/>But their map showing which neighborhoods are "completed" includes my neighborhood.. yet there are no ramps.Lizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02650178982186311590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15270008.post-86240669599132232462007-09-06T21:14:00.000-07:002007-09-06T21:14:00.000-07:00Oh. And I also might be barking up the wrong tree,...Oh. And I also might be barking up the wrong tree, and it might be the county who is responsible for some of this. I will try the county Commission on Disability tomorrow morning.<BR/><BR/>http://www.smco-cod.org/smc/department/cod/home/0,2151,65129_59681145,00.htmlLizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02650178982186311590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15270008.post-48845082231197407312007-09-06T21:07:00.000-07:002007-09-06T21:07:00.000-07:00Thanks Jesse! I have also found this excellent si...Thanks Jesse! I have also found this excellent site, http://dralegal.org/ . Though I used a wheelchair for years in the 90s, I was never in a position to be researching this stuff or doing activism. Now I am, and it really feels good.<BR/><BR/>I am noting that, when the city resurfaced my street, they should have fixed the curb cuts... but they didn't. So I'm wondering whether to point that out right away to them, and how, and to who. I will try finding an ADA compliance person! Good idea! So far I have mostly talked to Traffic and Engineering.Lizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02650178982186311590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15270008.post-59529091861154337442007-09-06T11:51:00.000-07:002007-09-06T11:51:00.000-07:00Excellent work, Liz! Especially loud applause for ...Excellent work, Liz! Especially loud applause for cheerful-yet-persistent interactions with bureaucrats. <BR/><BR/>Here are some breadcrumbs I've gathered from 15 years of pedestrian & transit advocacy for everybody<BR/><BR/>Background on the Sacramento Sidewalk case that went all the way to the Supreme Court. Since 1992, ADA required *all* municipalities to inventory sidewalks and make them accessible <B>in the process of routine roadway maintenance</B>. <A HREF="http://www.accessiblesociety.org/topics/ada/bardensolicgen.html<br/>" REL="nofollow">Sacto refused and Sacto is now in the hole for many millions.</A><BR/><BR/>Many municipalities have <A HREF="http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/" REL="nofollow">"safe walk routes"</A> to schools -- check with the school district -- which would give more oomph to your request.<BR/><BR/>Since school buildings are often polling places, a barrier that prevents you voting can be a "federal case." The experts on this sort of stuff are members of the <A HREF="http://napas.org" REL="nofollow">National Disability Rights Network</A><BR/><BR/>Based on this great post, make a summary of "the story thus far." Working the phones, ID and contact these folks:<BR/><BR/>- Your local elected representative (city selectman, councilwoman, alderperson, whatever). <BR/><BR/>- Your municipality's "ADA compliance officer" (which the ADA requires). They often lurk in personnel depts. <BR/><BR/>- Just for kicks, the advocacy coordinator at the nearest <A HREF="http://www.ilru.org/html/publications/directory/index.html" REL="nofollow"> Independent Living Center</A>. Chances are good there's at least one other person in your situation who would be happy to make common cause.<BR/><BR/>Get their email addresses, get 'em up to speed, and CC them on all subsequent correspondence.<BR/><BR/>That's enough to keep you way too busy. Any parent who's trying to move a stroller plus some walking kids will also find curb ramps very helpful, so you may be able to find an ally there.<BR/><BR/>Very best wishes!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15270008.post-43077638072497573892007-09-04T22:22:00.000-07:002007-09-04T22:22:00.000-07:00This is indeed totally inspirational. Thanks for p...This is indeed totally inspirational. Thanks for posting it; it's like a "how-to" manual for practical political action.<BR/><BR/>On another note, I can't believe more people want to install linux on a usb pen drive than want to smash the patriarchy.elswherehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09682431666658202440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15270008.post-32913820857005334192007-08-31T09:13:00.000-07:002007-08-31T09:13:00.000-07:00Go you! I'm incredibly impressed by your direct a...Go you! I'm incredibly impressed by your direct and polite manner of dealing with the government. I also really like your last idea, of enlisting students, but I'd like to make a minor suggestion. High school students might be a better idea, as they'd feel safer pounding the pavement, and might be able to present themselves a little more clearly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15270008.post-65973457816817132442007-08-30T18:24:00.000-07:002007-08-30T18:24:00.000-07:00Good Luck with the continuation of this mission. ...Good Luck with the continuation of this mission. It does sound very worthy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15270008.post-34484328438129587272007-08-29T16:39:00.000-07:002007-08-29T16:39:00.000-07:00Thanks y'all. Right now I don't feel as supercri...Thanks y'all. Right now I don't feel as supercrip as I did in the morning. I'm just tired and cranky!<BR/><BR/>But I thought some more about the slowness and the difficulty of the process. It shows how the process has to be difficult. Fixing the curbs is expensive, but they're in theory required by law to do it. I should look up what the law actually IS. So, if it were easy to request all these curbs get fixed, say with a web form just by clicking on a map, then it would eat up all the city's money, because someone like me would drive around and record all the curbs unfixed and request them to be fixed. So perhaps some of the friction is put in on purpose. <BR/><BR/>The slow mild labyrinth of bureacracy can work pretty well. But to navigate it you also need a certain amount of energy, leisure, and privilege. With all I have, and I have all of those things on tap for me, it is still quite difficult. <BR/><BR/>I am probably going to point out that it is unreasonable to require a disabled person to go around getting signatures... especially from all these apartment buildings with stairs and no elevator. Hahahahah! I can do a bunch of it, but again, if it takes being me to even contemplate doing this, then the structure is messed up.Lizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02650178982186311590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15270008.post-17476025249124826342007-08-29T16:18:00.000-07:002007-08-29T16:18:00.000-07:00this is incredibly useful information and i'm grat...this is incredibly useful information and i'm grateful that you posted it. <BR/><BR/>and it also sounds like an incredibly fatiguing process. i'm glad you have some ideas for getting help and support.kmeelyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13862474082636479579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15270008.post-11800370344830349572007-08-29T15:23:00.000-07:002007-08-29T15:23:00.000-07:00As always, Liz, you inspire me. The idea of enlis...As always, Liz, you inspire me. The idea of enlisting students for help is a great one. I totally would have done this in high school but then again I was a freaky policy wonk with a dream of becoming city manager. But it would be a great hands-on learning project and every stage of my education up to and including 3 graduate programs have made use of such opportunities.Waghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12860272280545417698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15270008.post-60630949634190896572007-08-29T13:50:00.000-07:002007-08-29T13:50:00.000-07:00You're a powerhouse! A stop sign there would be GR...You're a powerhouse! A stop sign there would be GREAT. I hate driving there as well as walking.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15270008.post-36926405306174107442007-08-29T12:43:00.000-07:002007-08-29T12:43:00.000-07:00i LOVE that A.) you wrote the letter right there i...i LOVE that A.) you wrote the letter right there instead of letting it be another beauracratic barrier and B.) that you didn't give in and listen to the guy who told you to go across town. <BR/><BR/>the world needs more people like you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com