A City Council hearing late last year has led to two new bills promoting business accessibility.
City Council Member Deborah Rose is the primary sponsor of Intro 744, which would require agencies to educate business owners on issues concerning access for persons with disabilities. The bill is co-sponsored by 19 Council members.
The bill would require the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) to work with city agencies to develop an education plan for business owners. According to the bill, “Such plan shall include, but not be limited to, education on federal, state and local disability access laws, common barriers to accessibility, and methods to help pay for modifications that are required to meet accessible standards.”
If the bill becomes law, MOPD will be required to submit a plan to the Council within one year detailing how business owners will be educated and a report on how the plan will be implemented.
A second bill is also being drafted that would empower the New York City Human Rights Commission to investigate access issues without first receiving a complaint, said Jamin Sewell, counsel to Council Member Oliver Koppell.
The bills came about after an October 31sthearing by the Council’s Committee on Civil Rights and the Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse and Disability Services. The hearing was titled, “Oversight: Access to New York City Businesses for Persons with Disabilities.”
Koppell, who chairs the disability committee, said about Intro 744, “It’s clear that the rules are somewhat confusing and we want everyone to understand the requirements in what they do and do not have to do. The hearing pointed out that many people are not aware of their responsibilities.”
Angel Daniels from the office of Council Member Rose – who chairs the Civil Rights Committee – said via email, “When the Americans with Disabilities Act went into effect 20 years ago, the disability community hoped that it would improve awareness, heighten visibility and give disabled persons the opportunity to achieve equal status with their non-disabled counterparts. While this landmark legislation has brought forth much-needed positive changes, in reality it has fallen short of the disabled community’s expectations in several categories, particularly access to businesses.”
Daniels added, “Despite the high numbers of New Yorkers with disabilities, many businesses are still unaware or unwilling to make their locations ‘disability friendly.’ Many restaurants still deny access and service to blind individuals who use service animals; many of them often have aisles that are too narrow for wheelchair and walker users through which to safely navigate. Some businesses that have wheelchair accessible entrances have them located behind a locked gate.”
Sewell said he expects the second bill to be finished before the Council’s next hearing in late January.
This article was published in the February 2012 issue of Able News.
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