Resolution 2009-01 Endorsing the Accessibility of Destination-Based Elevators

 

RESOLUTION #2009-01

San Francisco Mayor's Disability Council Resolution
Endorsing the Accessibility of Destination-Based Elevators

WHEREAS, San Francisco has a long history of leadership in the development of assistive technologies for persons with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, these technologies include physically accessible automated street toilets, kiosks, and news racks; talking Automatic Teller Machines accessible to blind persons; accessible talking door entry systems now in use at San Francisco public housing projects; and accessible audible pedestrian crossing signals at hundreds of San Francisco street corners; and

WHEREAS, elevators are a critical assistive technology in all high-rise buildings; and

 

WHEREAS, a new type of elevator user control technology, destination-dispatch elevator control, is now being introduced in scores of San Francisco buildings; and
WHEREAS, these destination-dispatch elevators provide many benefits including reduced energy usage, reduced environmental impact, reduced floor footprint per passenger served, reduced costs, improved customer service, reduced waiting times, more pleasant travel, and shorter, more direct travel routes; and

WHEREAS, San Francisco is a densely populated city with a strong interest in supporting technologies that improve the use of scarce downtown commercial and residential spaces and the conservation of energy in that use; and

WHEREAS, destination-dispatch elevators can create new accessibility problems for people who are blind, have low vision, or have cognitive impairments;

WHEREAS, elevator technology has raced ahead of Federal and state elevator regulation, which does not yet adequately mandate accessibility; and

WHEREAS, the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection, the San Francisco Access Appeals Commission, important blindness organizations including the San Francisco LightHouse for the Blind, and the California Council of the Blind, and many individuals with disabilities, all of the major U.S. and international elevator corporations and consultants, the major elevator industry association, and building owners have been working together to examine accessibility issues and develop accessibility standards; and

WHEREAS, the contributions of nationally known accessibility, ergonomics, and vision and acoustics experts including the Smith-Kettelwell Eye Research Institute of San Francisco, TRACE Research of the University of Wisconsin, and C.M. Salter Associates have provided technical rigor in developing accessibility standards; and

WHEREAS, this process has unfolded over a period of over a year through a lengthy series of public meetings and hearings conducted by the Access Appeals Commission; and

WHEREAS, the Commission is about to adopt its final draft recommendations incorporating these standards into Administrative Bulletin AB-090;

 

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mayor's Disability Council recognizes and appreciates the sustained efforts of those public, non-profit, and private organizations and individuals involved in this comprehensive development process; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, the Mayor's Disability Council supports the adoption of standards being developed by the Department of Building Inspection, the Access Appeals Commission, and the elevator industry in collaboration with the blind and low vision communities; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, the Mayor's Disability Council urges Mayor Gavin Newsom, the Board of Supervisors, the Department of Building Inspection, the Building Inspection Commission, and other City and County of San Francisco departments and agencies who may be involved in funding, constructing, regulating, or approving Destination-Based elevators to fully and expeditiously implement the agreed-upon accessibility provisions for Destination-Based elevators.

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February 20, 2009 Mayor's Disability Council – ADOPTED

Ayes: 6 - Jul Lynn Parsons, F. Ross Woodall, Raphaella Benin, Joseph Fong,
Elizabeth Grigsby, Tatiana Kostanian, Sarah Estes Merrell, Denise
Senhaux and Vincent Webster.

Absent: Benito Casados and Harriet Chiu Chan