Members of the public are invited to take part in an online survey about JCPRD’s ongoing efforts to implement the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The survey can be found at
jcprd.com/surveys, and will be available until at least mid-March.
“The ADA transition plan is currently underway and we feel a survey to get input from the citizens is an integral part of that plan,” said JCPRD Administration and Human Resources Manager JoAnn Courtney, who also serves as the agency’s ADA coordinator. “We have recruited members from the disabled community to be a part of our ADA plan process and they have reviewed the survey and provided input, as well as our consultants and staff. Our goal is to incorporate the public into the ADA self-evaluation and transition plan.”
“It’s predominantly about getting feedback on our facilities, programs, and communications,” added Project Manager Rick Findley. “This is basically about being proactive in addressing in a comprehensive manner how we as a district can meet the ADA, and we realize that it’s going to take time for us to address all of the modifications, and it’s going to be an ongoing activity.”
Anyone is welcome to complete the short survey, but officials would especially like to hear from anyone who has ever requested special accommodations from JCPRD.
The survey is just one part of an ADA self-evaluation and transition plan currently being conducted by JCPRD. For this larger effort, JCPRD hired Disability Access Consultants, LLC (DAC) to conduct a district-wide ADA accessibility evaluation of the agency’s public facilities, programs, and services.
A public open house, during which DAC will present its findings, is scheduled from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 11, in the Sunflower Room at the JCPRD Administration Building at 7900 Renner Road., Shawnee. JCPRD staff will also be available to discuss the project, receive input, and answer questions.
After the public meeting, DAC will provide JCPRD with a report of their findings, an executive summary, and prioritization of needed modifications. Mid-February training regarding ADA is also planned for some district staff.
Courtney said that while JCPRD has made efforts to implement ADA since it was first enacted in 1990, this current effort is the largest she’s seen, and the first time an outside consultant has been brought in.
“JCPRD has been very, very proactive in addressing ADA issues and reactive when issues are brought to us,” she said. “There have been many improvements made in response to citizens’ communications to us about their issues. Our Planning and Development Department deserves huge kudos for being proactive with accessibility in our public areas. Also the IT people in our website and public comments and the marketing and communications staff have all been proactive and reactive as well.”