The Inspection Team
Sites should be inspected by you as the meeting planner and by people with disabilities who have a user’s perspective. Ideally, your site selection team will include someone with a user’s perspective who also has knowledge of “cross-disability” access concerns. Don’t assume that someone with a disability understands the access needs of people with other types of disabilities. Make sure your entire site review team is qualified and has the knowledge and experience to evaluate venues for the widest range of needs. An excellent guideline for including individuals with disabilities within your planning team is provided in Effectively Including People with Disabilities in Your Policy and Advisory Groups.(link is external)
If you or your team do not have adequate representation, you may want to reach out to the local Center for Independent Living(link is external) (or other disability subject matter experts, such as the Commission for the Deaf, Blind, etc.) to request a site reviewer to join you on your visit. In determining who will accompany your team, you should determine what gaps your group may have and fill them with expertise in state and federal access codes, Title III of the ADA,(link is external) and elements of communication access.
Use a site evaluation tool that includes all of the items from your needs assessment. You may wish to use the same checklist that you developed for evaluating the bids received. Be sure to include space for each reviewer to make notes about specific concerns they may have, and plan a group meeting after the inspections to review the team's findings.
If multiple areas of the property will be used or there are any off-site events planned, the inspection team should visit all sites, including any transportation facilities, to ensure they are accessible. Sites should be reviewed for structural access features, including communication features such as signage and emergency alarm signals.
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