Transcript A Brief Overview of the Disability Rights Movement

Understanding Accessibility:
A training for
the Mayor’s Office on Housing
Mayor’s Office on Disability
February 2009
Training Outline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
History and Context of the Disability Rights
movement
Federal & State Access Requirements
MOD Plan Check Procedures
Common Design & Construction Errors
Q&A
History of Federal Law
► Rehabilitation
Act of 1973 – Section 504 first
disability rights law to protect people with disabilities in
federally funded projects.
► Fair
Housing Amendments Act of 1988 –
added prohibitions against discrimination to the 1968 Fair
Housing Act, along with expectations for accessible
construction.
► Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990 – the
most comprehensive civil rights act for the disability
community, providing protection in employment,
transportation, public accommodations and state and local
government.
Fun Fact
► Question:
Why is San Francisco often
called “the birthplace of the disability rights
movement?”
► Answer: It was only after a record-breaking
28 day sit-in at the Health and Human
Services Office here in UN Plaza by people
with disabilities that the first regulations for
section 504 of the Rehab act were
promulgated.
Does the ADA Apply to Housing?
► Yes,
when administered through a City or
State entity or its programs.
► Housing programs must not exclude,
segregate, or otherwise provide unequal
opportunities for people with disabilities.
► Requirements apply to both a City’s policies,
practices and procedures, as well as its
choices for projects.
“It took the Civil Rights Act of
1964 and subsequent statutes
to make plain this nation’s
opposition to racism, sexism
and discrimination based on a
person’s age…”
“It will take the Americans with
Disabilities Act to set the
record straight as to where we
stand on discrimination based
on disability.”
Senator Lowell Weicker, Jr.
Joint Congressional Hearing on the ADA
September 27, 1988
Disability Statistics
Approximately 19% of SF’s population has
some type of disability
37.8% have a physical disability (56,749)
26.1% have a mental disability (39,184)
17.1% have a sensory disability (25,672)
And…
 Disability strongly correlates with poverty.
 People with disabilities are 2 to 3 times
more likely to live at or below the poverty
level.
 Rates of disability in publicly funded or
subsidized housing will be significantly
higher than in the general population.
Why is Accessibility Important for
the Mayor’s Office on Housing?
1.
It’s good for people with
disabilities – which include
much of MOH’s target, lowincome population.
2.
It’s good for the bottom
line.
Benefits for People with Disabilities
► San
Francisco’s housing stock is
exceptionally old, and largely inaccessible,
with very little in the private market for
people who need access.
► Accessible / Adaptable housing promotes
independence and integration and reduces
segregation and isolation.
► Adaptable housing allows people to “age in
place” – a Mayoral and community priority.
Benefits for the Bottom Line
► No
lawsuits - Properly constructed housing
avoids legal complications later.
► No costly remodels - Adaptable housing can
quickly and inexpensively convert to accessible
housing.
► No drain on the General Fund for expensive
institutional care - Laguna Honda costs the
City’s General Fund more than $50,000 per year
for each resident. An estimated 500 residents
could live in the community if accessible housing
were available.
What’s Next?
► Federal
& State Access Requirements
► Plan Check Process
► Common Design & Construction Errors