CITY SEEKS PUBLIC INPUT ON DISABILITY ACCESS TO PUBLIC FACILITIES & PROGRAMS

WESTFIELD- The City of Westfield, using resources from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, is in the process of updating its policies, procedures, and approaches to compliance with the American Disabilities Act (ADA) and accessibility to all municipally-sponsored programs.  Part of this update to the City’s ADA Transition Plan & Self-Evaluation requires public input.

In order to collect that input, the City and its partners, Caolo & Bieniek Architects and KMA Architecture & Accessibility have developed a survey for the public to share its experience relating to equal access to government facilities and programs.  The survey can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FGKTQMQ.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) guarantees equal opportunities for persons with disabilities in employment, public accommodations, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications. Together with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, these federal statutes require Westfield to periodically review our policies, programs, and facilities to ensure compliance. Further, as barriers are identified, the City is required to acknowledge them and begin planning for remediation.

Since 1997 when the City’s last review occurred, new programs have been developed, facilities have been rehabilitated, and technology has introduced new challenges for equal access.  The goal of this study and survey is to identify how the City can better serve all citizens with access to its programs and facilities.

The survey will be opened for public input until July 22, 2022. For additional information on this initiative, please contact Peter Miller in the Office of Community Development at (413) 572-6246 or by email at p.miller@cityofwestfield.org.