Proceedings of: Workshop on Improving Building Design for Persons with Low Vision

Testing the ABA

Just a couple of new stories for you guys. I’ve been here a long time so I know a lot of stories. I came to the U.S. in ‘74, and the ABA got passed in ‘68. In ‘74, I see every morning two young architects. They come in: very good-looking, young and walking good. But at 10:00, I see a lot of noise in the hallways, riding around in the wheelchairs. I see nothing wrong with them. Everything looked really very well.

So finally one day I asked [why were those] rubber tires and these floors are made of [concrete] flooring so noisy. So I asked my colleagues, I said, well, what’s going on? These guys come in looking good; suddenly at 10:00 they got into the wheelchairs, and then this all day, and I’ve been seeing it for four or five days.

They said, well, they’re testing the American barriers – like what barriers, architectural barriers to see what barriers need to be moved to have easy access.

And, you know, in 40 years, a lot of progress, but it took so long to get to this point. Even now, like Tom was saying yesterday, there are issues with the doors, there are issues with the [elevators]. Still there are issues for future access. But I see a lot of opportunity and I think it can be achieved. It will take a lot of experience, a lot of [work]. That’s one story I wanted to tell.

Uncertainties

The other story is, we had a chief judge in Los Angeles and the building, 1970 design, and bathrooms were really old. He’s very unhappy with the bathroom, so he called the GSA manager: I want to get my bathroom redone. I want a brand-new bathroom.

So it took about three, four months, and the judge opened the bathroom and he looks in there. He saw handicap-accessible grab bars [on the wall] – high up. And he [had a discussion] with the building manager. I’m going to put you in [jail]. He said, but I had nothing to do with it. Talk to the design folks.

So he called the project manager and he was so mad. He said, do I look handicapped? I never asked you to – he said, Judge, that’s the law, and the law was passed by Congress, and everybody has to comply with the law – handicapped bathroom within so many feet. We have to have a handicapped bathroom. He mumbled and grumbled but it’s too late; now it’s already built.

Anyhow, about six months later he went on a fishing trip in Wyoming somewhere, and he slipped on the rock [while he was] fishing and he had vertical fractures in both his legs. He was in surgery and all that good stuff for six months. He came back six months later on crutches.

So he called the project manager and the building manager. He thanked both of them for building the bathroom there. And now he said, I want you to build the whole area so I can go in my wheelchair.

Comment by Marsha Mazz: It just proves that disability is the only minority group you get to join after birth.

And, [this] judge was so powerful but he was going to [approve] some $300 million for new projects within the POE. And when we did the POE, we had to do the justification for the POE: I want new courtroom.

So he came with the crutches but he wanted to make sure that we didn’t take the video while he uses the crutches. He sat down nicely, but he didn’t want anyone to know that he’s handicapped, [so he ordered that the design team] put a barricade or some kind of a banister so you couldn’t see him going on the wheelchair. So he [became aware of the need for accessibility design] changes as well of their disabilities.

Anyhow, those are the stories.

Comment by Earle Kennett: Okay. Thank you, Vijay. Vijay is full of stories. You should travel around the country with him.