Disability Technology & News

Chicago Attractions Made Accessible

Chicago makes popular attractions accessible for disabled
Karen Meyer
July 26, 2005

The city of Chicago has made improvements to help the disabled community over the last five years. Mayor Richard Daley has helped push for the improvements to some of the city’s most popular.

“I believe people with disabilities have the rights of anybody else. From housing to jobs to education to transportation all the things we think we take for granted,” said Mayor Daley.

Just last month the mayor announced CTA buses are now 100 percent accessible.

Millennium Park, which thousands have enjoyed since it opened last summer, has won awards designing beyond the minimum standards of the ADA requirements.

“The ramps are not at the maximum slope, they’re shallower, the fountain has a water feature that anybody can get out in to and play in,” said Daley.

The new Soldier Field now offers accessibility throughout the stadium.

“They’ve done a good job providing accessible routes to the seating and distributing the seating in a very acquirable way,” said Daley.

Architect Jack Catlin is an accessibility expert. He says Chicago is taking the ADA accessibility requirements to another level known as universal design.

“Universal designed is an emerging design process that involves maximizing the environment for all of the users, little kids, senior citizens and people with disabilities,” said Catlin.

The new Access Living headquarters is expected to be the most universally designed office building in the country.

In order to address the high unemployment rate among people with disabilities, the mayor created a task force of employment for people with disabilities that included both the private and public sectors.

Three months ago, the mayor appointed David Hanson, commissioner of the city’s workforce.

“The mayor has made a commitment to make the city of Chicago a model employer,” said David Hanson.

Hanson says there is a lot more work to be done with employment but that Chicago is heading in the right direction.

“Now they have somewhere to go under the Chicago provider leadership network to get the best people in the best positions,” said Hanson.

It will be interesting to look at the progress the city makes over the next five year when the ADA celebrates its 20th anniversary.

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