Tallahassee Democrat
June 2, 2007
‘Big Bell’ is a smart solution for disabled
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) imposes many obligations on public and private business that are intended to facilitate equal opportunity and inclusion for persons with disabilities.
Sometimes these laws and access standards are challenging to understand. Sometimes ADA compliance is cost-prohibitive for the small business. Sometimes creative solutions are already present, just unknown. Recently, the city of Tallahassee, with Mayor John Marks’ leadership, installed the “Big Bell.”
This “common-sense access,” a doorbell strategically placed at the entrance of the commission office on the fourth floor of City Hall, enables programmatic access and overcomes a barrier with dignity and sensitivity for our seniors and persons with disabilities. Significantly, the “Big Bell” is affordable, and therefore it makes good common sense while facilitating inclusion.
On behalf of all of our citizens with special needs, I am most grateful for the city’s leadership in tearing down yet another barrier.
J.R. HARDING
JRFSU@comcast.net