ACCESSING PUBLIC SERVICES
Parkville Mayor Dean Katerndahl says the city is in the process of adopting an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition plan.
Katerndahl talked about the ADA plan in the city’s monthly newsletter known as the Parkville Pulse.
“About 20 percent of Americans have some kind of disability that makes it more difficult for them to access public services. It is incumbent on the city to have a plan how to provide reasonable accommodations for these fellow citizens and make city services and all public services as accessible as possible. And by the way, it is the law,” Katerndahl says.
The mayor explained that the city has begun the process by evaluating accessibility in the Downtown Parkville area, identifying what needs to be done to correct issues and determining the costs. This produced a list of potential projects, which the city will prioritize.
Katerndahl says another part of this initial work was to develop the process to continue ADA assessments throughout the city, create a process for receiving, documenting and addressing ADA complaints and training staff in implementing the plan.
“As important as physical improvements are, it is just as important that the city ingrain ADA principles in our policies and procedures and especially in our thinking as we go about our day-to-day activities running the city,” Katerndahl says.
“Sometimes it’s simple things like remembering to make sure following a snow storm that accessible parking places are really accessible, which may require a little extra attention,” he said.
The mayor said he anticipates the ADA Transition Plan will be presented for review in the next couple of months to the city’s Diversity & Inclusion Commission and for adoption by the board of aldermen.
“It will be an important accomplishment for the city,” Katerndahl remarked.