Q&A
ADA compliance and accessibility of OACs in NYCHA facilities
1:57:35
ยท
148 sec
Council Member Hudson inquires about the ADA compliance and accessibility of OACs on NYCHA campuses. NYCHA representatives discuss the current status and efforts to improve accessibility.
- Not all OACs on NYCHA campuses are currently ADA accessible
- NYCHA prioritizes ADA accessibility in renovation and capital upgrade projects
- Upgrades include improvements to ramps, entrances, bathrooms, and elevators
- NYCHA unable to provide exact numbers of ADA-compliant OACs but confirms progress has been made since November 2023
Crystal Hudson
1:57:35
Okay.
1:57:36
Are all OACs on NYCHA campuses ADA compliant and easily accessible for residents with mobility or other physical challenges?
1:57:44
No.
Dylan Baker-Rice
1:57:45
They all, OACs that are on NYCHA campuses are not all ADA accessible.
1:57:52
But whenever we can conduct, renovation or or capital upgrade, That's always within our base scope of work.
1:58:01
So that's a big focus for us is, making sure we have funding in place for those residents so that, anyone that has mobility impairments is able to access the centers.
1:58:12
You know, typically, we upgrade the ramps or entrance entrances to the buildings.
1:58:18
We're also looking at upgrades for accessible bathrooms, facilities, and we'll make sure that there's a adequate turnaround radius, that the fixtures meet ADA compliance.
1:58:30
And then some of our centers are more than one story.
1:58:33
So in those, we would advocate for additional funding for a dedicated lift or for upgrades to our elevators.
Crystal Hudson
1:58:40
What, number percentage proportion of the of the total OACs and NYCHA facilities are ADA accessible?
Dylan Baker-Rice
1:58:52
I'd have to get back to you with the number for that.
Gale A. Brewer
1:58:55
Okay.
Dylan Baker-Rice
1:58:56
Any as I said, if we're conducting a a full upgrade, then we're adding ADA accessibility.
1:59:01
Right.
Crystal Hudson
1:59:02
I'd just like to know if it's like, half of them are ADA compliant.
1:59:05
Okay.
1:59:05
Thanks.
1:59:07
What resources are needed to make all facilities accessible?
1:59:10
Is there a number?
Dylan Baker-Rice
1:59:12
No.
1:59:12
There there isn't a number.
1:59:13
It's really a case by case basis.
1:59:15
So anytime we're working on the scoping, we wanna look at the existing conditions, we wanna look at access.
1:59:23
Inability to get equipment into the space is a prime consideration.
1:59:27
So, you know, that can vary from a relatively small dollar to a significant investment, particularly if we're talking about a lift, for 2 stores.
Crystal Hudson
1:59:38
Has there been any progress since the last hearing in November 2023, to your knowledge?
1:59:42
So, like, has the number of accessible OACs and NYCHA facilities increased since November of 2023?
Dylan Baker-Rice
1:59:52
I'd have to get back to you, but, yes, for the projects that we've completed, we've in, we've added accessibility for those.
1:59:59
So we have increased the number since 23.