Newsletter – December 2007

NEWSLETTER UPDATE – JUNE, 2007

FROM PHYLLIS F. RESNICK, PRESIDENT

HELLO, AGAIN, EVERYBODY!!!!!

Well, another 6 months have passed since our last newsletter and much continues to  happen in the world of “Access Now”^®.  We have had several Class Action Fairness Hearings, a trial and many Settlements.  It has been an active, interesting, challenging, sometimes aggravating, but mostly gratifying time! Some things are happening in the overall A.D.A. (Americans with Disabilities Act) world as well; more about all of the above later in this newsletter.

We would like to point out to those of you who are receiving this newsletter for the first time  that, sadly, many entities continue to fail to comply with the A.D.A., despite the fact that the law was enacted in 1990.  As we have said before, we continue to press on with cases against a variety of entities.  On a continuing basis, virtually daily, we receive complaints from disabled persons who are routinely being denied their rights under this civil rights law.  (In the last two weeks of November alone we received approximately 10 such requests.)  There is no such thing as a “large” or “small” case, only a large or small entity and we take pride in the fact that we do not limit our efforts to either category.  The resolution of high profile cases of legal “first impression”, as well as of those involving neighborhood businesses have a great impact on the daily lives of the disabled among us (although we want to make clear that it is not our aim to put anyone out of business.)

WE WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN WITH THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE FROM A MEMBER THAT WE BELIEVE SHOWS THAT THE OUTREACH RESULTING FROM THE “ACCESS NOW”^® WAY OF APPROACHING LITIGATION IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE.  (KUDOS TO ADAAG CONSULTING SERVICES , WITH WHOM WE HAVE WORKED FOR SEVERAL YEARS.)

Dear friends and Colleagues:

I am honored to share with you a letter written on behalf of the governor.  (You can find the letter online at https://accessnowinc.org///)  It is, indeed, a humbling experience to receive thanks for something (participating in Florida’s Disability Mentoring Day and being a host for the DMD Career Fair) that cost us very little in time and effort, but could possibly make a huge difference in a young person’s life.

For the last 3 years, ADAAG Consulting Services has been a sponsor of the The Able Trust—where we mentor young teenagers with disabilities, help create an interest in the area of design and code consulting, and perhaps encourage them to consider our profession as an option for their higher education studies.

In addition to being part of The Able Trust, we also sponsor, participate in, and are actively involved with the following charities and/or non-profits:

Easter Seals – where—among other endeavors—we sponsor fund raising campaigns for spinal cord injury research.

Shake-a-Leg – where we sponsor fund raising campaigns that provide vocational activities for young people with disabilities.

Educate Tomorrow – where we sponsor fundraising campaigns to help teenagers achieve their post-graduate educational goals.

The Holocaust Museum – where we are providing pro-bono accessibility and construction consulting services.

Clean Air-Cool Planet – where we sponsor alternative wind and solar energy production in an effort to reduce green house gas emissions.

World Wildlife Fund – where we sponsor fund raising campaigns to provide resources for the preservation of our planet and all its inhabitants.

The Women’s Club – where we provide pro-bono accessibility consulting, design consulting, and construction services to bring their historic facilities up to ADA standards.

There are many other pro-bono accessibility consulting, drafting and construction services we provide to various organizations, families, or persons with disabilities who do not have the resources that we possess, and we are more than happy to be of service through our own humble means.  In closing, I would like to encourage all of ADAAG Consulting Services many friends and colleagues to consider devoting a portion of your own time and resources to whichever worthy cause you choose to honor.  I am sure your efforts would be appreciated, and we at ACS believe that in pulling together, we can all make a valuable difference to the future of our world.

Regards,

Richard Londono, Assoc. AIA

1385 Coral Way PH 401

Miami, Florida 33145

Toll Free: 888-768-7788 ext 323

Tel:  305-285-7373 ext 323

Fax:  305-285-2363

e-mail: rlondono@adaag-consulting.com

website: www.adaag-consulting.com

Architecture shapes society and enhances the quality of life for this and future generations.  Architects must advocate for beautiful, healthy, and equitable design that respects and accommodates society’s diverse cultures and needs.  . . .  (This is the AIA’s position on how accessibility affects the world and the integration of accessibility into the practice of architecture.)