President George W. Bush recently unveiled his “New Freedom Initiative,” a package of legislative proposals that would increase access to assistive technologies, expand educational opportunities, integrate more Americans with disabilities into the workforce, and promote increased access into daily community life.
The initiative specifically proposes to provide funding for accessibility renovations for certain civic and religious organizations currently exempt from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It would establish a national fund to provide matching grants for accessibility renovations for these ADA-exempt organizations. The report is available online in both PDF and HTML formats.
In related news, the US Access Board’s Public Rights-of-Way Access Advisory Committee presented its recommendations on accessible public rights-of-way at the annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board in January. The recommendations are provided in the form of a report, Building a True Community, which the board will use in developing accessibility guidelines specific to public rights-of-way under the ADA and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA). The report provides criteria for the design and construction of public rights-of-way—such as sidewalks, street crossings, and vehicular ways—that are accessible to people with physical and sensory disabilities. The provisions pertain mainly to new construction, although the report does address existing public rights-of-way. For a copy of Building a True Community, visit the US Access Board’s Web site.
