Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Americans with Disabilities - Updates, Mandates, and Trends

Just when you think you know all there is to know about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the laws change. Do you know what the current requirements are? Do you know if your City’s facilities AND services are in compliance? If not, your City is at risk. According to www.adaabuse.com, more than 14,000 accessibility-related lawsuits have been filed in California just in the last few years. Most of these lawsuits are being filed by a few law firms and plaintiffs who have become known as “frequent flyers.” One attorney alone filed over 2,000 lawsuits.

The new changes widened the scope of ADA requirements and include recreation facilities (pools, playgrounds, golf courses, etc.). Join us on February 22, and let Tim Gilbert introduce you to these requirements. Get involved in the discussion of the evaluation and strategic planning process for accessible pedestrian facilities (sidewalks and curb ramps). Learn how to address the need and process for keeping your ADA Transition Plan up-to-date and how to effectively include the public and, in particular, people with disabilities, in the preparation of the transition plan and the plan update. We’ll be building off the tools we provided to you in during our 2010 ADA workshops.

Who Should Attend:
• City Council Members
• Public Works Directors
• Park & Recreation Directors
• City Managers
• City Engineers
• City Planners
• Risk Managers

Speaker:
Timothy A. Gilbert, CASp, ICC, PRINCIPAL, Moore Iacofano Goltsman, Inc. (MIG) Tim Gilbert is a firm principal with over 30 years of experience as an accessibility planner, building code enforcement officer, and designer. He is an expert in federal and state access regulations and is certified in building code and accessibility issues with the International Code Council (ICC). He is also certified as an access specialist with the State of California (CASp). His projects encompass a variety of civic environments, including parks, schools, child care centers, courthouses, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers. Among his major projects are self-evaluations and transition plans for Marin, Amador, Contra Costa, and Sonoma counties; and the cities of Stockton, Fresno, Napa, American Canyon, San Rafael, Petaluma, San Francisco, San Jose, and Santa Rosa.

Registration:
Registration is required for adequate planning of workshop seating, materials, and meals but is free to all ICRMA members. Non-members are also invited to attend. However, there is a $50 fee for non-members. Due to the popularity of the topic and speaker, we anticipate the session filling up quickly, and seating is limited, so register TODAY! On-line registration will be accepted until Friday, February 17, 2012. After that date, please contact Chris Retama at cretma@brsrisk.com or by phone at (714) 426-8503 or (800) 541-4591, extension 8503.

Cancellation:
Please note ICRMA University sessions are offered to ICRMA members free of charge. However, if you register and fail to attend without cancelling your registration by 12 noon, Monday, February 20, 2012, your City will be assessed a $50 fee to cover the cost of materials and food reserved for your use. If you must cancel, please consider sending another City employee to attend in your place to avoid the $50 fee. If you send another employee in your place, please contact Chris Retama directly to make the change in order to avoid confusion regarding the cancelation. Do not register your replacement via the online registration process. You can contact Chris Retama at cretma@brsrisk.com or call (714) 426-8503 or (800) 541-4591, extension 8503.