8.7. SR 07-25-1994 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

. ADA: Reasonable access to service . may requrre employee training DAVE ROBERTS AND MOl\qCA BOGNER What is reasonable? By now city, county, and state employ- ees are tired of these three letters. ADA. The Americans with disabilities act may have been thrust upon us by the federal government but how can local and state RELATIONS govcrnmcllls positively affect the bottom line? II"c have probably all sat through trdining on the emplo)111C11l ponion of the ADA. Enough to kno\\' thm only a handful of the jobs we have defined the "essential functions" of will actually be filled by the handful of disabled appli- cants we see. We have been through the measurements defined in the ADA of ramps, restroom stalls, access doors, and sO' on to' know where our buildings and public areas are \'tllnerable. But what about the other part of the . ADA-the pan requiring reasonable access and accommodation to product and service. 'What is reasonable and who \.,ill decide? For most., our product is service. Yet the 44 million people with disabilities who . . come to cit)' hall, who go to our parks, who walk the public sidew.lIks, or come to pay a water bill, are ignored, are embar. rassed, are fnlstrated by city employces. \\'hy? Because the employees are afraid of what 1O do. The employees are uncertain of when to help. The employ" ees feel pit)' towards the disabled. The employees simp1}' don't know ho\\' to deal with the portion of our public that is disabled. So now what? As public servants are we to be intimidated by the disabled? Should we continue to look for some memo from personnel, cit}' council, the mayor, anyone,who ,,,ill tell ti.s exactly what needs to be done in each encounter? Don't hold your breath for the memo. One solution is teaching your empJo)C ees and public officials (paid or other-