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Q&A
CCHR's interaction with Department of Buildings on accessibility issues
1:10:37
·
97 sec
JoAnn Kamuf Ward explains CCHR's interaction with the Department of Buildings (DOB) on accessibility issues, particularly in the context of requiring businesses to make physical modifications for accessibility. She outlines the different roles of CCHR and DOB in these situations.
- CCHR may require businesses to make modifications like building ramps, which must comply with city building codes and ADA standards
- CCHR does not provide legal advice or assistance to businesses navigating DOB codes
- The agency focuses on the specific case requirements and leaves respondents to work directly with DOB on compliance
- CCHR engages more closely with other agencies like SBS and DOB on education, outreach, and prevention efforts
- In law enforcement situations, other agencies typically get involved post-resolution from CCHR
JoAnn Kamuf Ward
1:10:37
Yeah, I think it's a good question.
1:10:40
The posture that DOB gets involved is often we are saying a store owner or a housing provider needs to build a ramp.
1:10:48
And that requires compliance with city building codes, which incorporate some ADA standards.
1:10:55
So we are saying build a ramp subject to and businesses really need to navigate that code.
1:11:03
We are not providing legal advice or legal assistance to those entities.
1:11:08
So it is not typical that if we are settling a case or issuing an order, we're going to call and help the person go through DOB.
1:11:17
It really is like we're looking at the four corners of the case, and then the respondents will work with other agencies in that arena.
1:11:24
Where we do work really closely and do the warm handoffs is on education and outreach and prevention side.
1:11:31
So we'll do joint events or trainings with SBS with DOB around accessibility and our Project Equal Access team in the space of pre complaint or advising on settlements in cases can consult with those agencies.
1:11:48
But it's exactly in the way that you presented it.
1:11:55
So it comes up differently in different cases and postures.
1:11:58
But I would say on the front end on prevention is where we have the strongest engagement, at least from our point.
1:12:04
And then in the law enforcement arena, it's really post resolution from CCHR that some of the other agencies were getting involved on accessibility.