Administrative Offices of the Emergency Telephone System

Summary

St. Clair County settled a lawsuit with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) under title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for deficiencies with their current facilities.  

Project

Kaskaskia Engineering Group, LLC (KEG) was contracted by Impact Strategies, Inc. to provide surveying and engineering services for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) deficiencies at the St. Clair County Administrative Offices of the Emergency Telephone System, located at 101 South First Street, in Belleville, Illinois. KEG prepared plans, specifications, and cost estimates to bring the following issues into compliance.

• Physical modifications to facilities surveyed by DOJ so that parking, routes into the buildings, and entrances are accessible to people with disabilities;
• Surveying facilities and programs and making modifications wherever necessary to achieve full compliance with ADA requirements;
• Undertaking the required planning and modifications to ensure equal, integrated access to emergency management for individuals with disabilities, including emergency preparedness, notification, evacuation, response, clean-up, and recovery; and
• Installing signs at any inaccessible entrance to a facility directing individuals with disabilities to an accessible entrance or for information about accessing programs and services at other accessible facilities.

KEG was also responsible for the measurements of the existing facilities; field investigations and construction inspection to ensure deficiencies were resolved; and current review of ADA codes that included the route of travel, curb ramps and sidewalks, compliance with handrails parking and drop-off areas, entrance accessibility, and signage.