Although intended for one-stop career centers, I thought the
checklist below may be useful generally to organizations
interested in conducting an accessibility self-evaluation.

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From the web page http://www.doleta.gov/access/chklst.htm

U.S. Department of Labor

Disability Initiative

The One-Stop Disability Access Checklist: Determining
Accessibility in Facilities and Provision of Services

The information and survey contained in this document will
enable most One-Stop Career Centers to do the required
self-evaluations and to plan to meet the accessibility needs of
customers with disabilities who come to One- Stop Career
Center's for services.

Accessibility is an on-going process. Technology, standards, and
needs are constantly changing. Architectural accessibility codes
of twenty years ago were a few pages long. Today, most codes are
well over a hundred pages. Rather than look at this process as a
static one, view it as an on-going process that is as much a
part of your system building as staff development, budgeting and
organizational development might be.

The attached checklist will enable your One-Stop Career Center
to conduct a thorough self-evaluation and transition plan.
Consider it a management tool that will help you to assess what
you have already done to facilitate equal opportunity for people
with disabilities and to plan what needs to be done in the
future. The checklist addresses requirements of Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended as well as those
under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The purpose of a self-evaluation is to allow you to gather
information regarding your organization's level of accessibility
in one place and at one time. A good self-evaluation will
capture your strengths and weaknesses. It will allow you to
develop a concrete plan, based on real data, to increase the
level of accessibility in your program.

A transition plan accomplishes the same goals in terms of
architectural accessibility. A good transition plan will
identify priorities for barrier removal and will assist you in
developing an annual plan continuing to do so.

In developing these tools, we have tried to simplify complex
issues while maintaining the integrity of the goal of
accessibility and the requirements of the law. Questions
regarding specific situations for specific programs will arise
and should be expected. Call your appropriate State DOL agency
or local agency resource for additional information.

Developing Career Centers that are totally accessible to people
with disabilities is critical for many reasons. By the year
2000, one in five Americans will have some type of disability
due partly to the aging of our population. More significantly,
for those of working age, is that people are surviving illness
and injury at far greater numbers and expecting to resume work
in some form. Societal attitudes have changed toward greater
acceptance of workers with disabilities than previously. Yet,
people with disabilities report widespread unemployment or
underemployment. Citizens with disabilities not working are
estimated to be a the 70 percent level.

As the One-Stop Career Centers reach advanced levels of
integration with a broad group of agencies, the system will be
expected to serve the full range of the American population --
from early teens to the elderly. Increasing numbers of people
with disabilities will be coming to the One-Stop System as we
become a significant part of service delivery in employment,
training and educational services.

In order to better serve customers with disabilities, it is
necessary to involve the disability community in your planning
and development process. Begin by contacting disability
organizations. We have state lists of these and if you need help
please call the DOL Disability Initiative at 202-219-8927 and
ask for Rick Douglas or E-Mail at rdouglas@dol.gov. The
checklist is designed to be self-guiding. The point is to
successfully be able to serve customers with disabilities and
attract those customers.

For more specific information, click on any of the following:

Section I:  Customer Service/Accommodation Practices

Section II: Communications Accessibility

Section Ill:  Existing Facilities Checklist

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SECTION I: Customer service/Accommodation Practices

The following portion of the checklist reviews recommended
customer service and accommodation practices for Department of
Labor One Stop Center programs. Not only does it outline what
you are required to do, but is also asks you to evaluate your
efforts to date and provides helpful hints.

The One-Stop Team recommends the following steps be taken:
  * Completion of this checklist
  * Development of internal action steps to rectify issues
    identified as a result
  * Development of written organization wide policies
  * Maintenance of this self-evaluation and supporting/resulting
    documents on file
  * Annual review of this self-evaluation

There may be terminology that you do not understand. Please
refer to the end of the checklist for an explanation of the
question and the terminology. If you have additional questions,
please call your State DOL agency for clarification.

1. Has your One-Stop program affirmatively sought to serve
qualified individuals with disabilities? Yes  No

a. What steps have been taken to meet this goal?

b. Have you been successful?

c. How do you know?

2.Do you have a written policy concerning discrimination on the
basis of physical or mental disability? Yes  No

3.Do you regularly review your service practices ( advertising,
notices signage, building and program access) to be certain that
you, your managers, supervisors, or external consultants are
nondiscriminatory in the treatment of customers with
disabilities? Yes  No

Employment Practices under the Americans with Disabilities Act
Guidelines

1. Medical records must be kept in a separate location
-medicalrecords. Access to medical records must be limited. Are
all Membfromnoners' non-medical records kept in a separate place
from records that contain medical information? (Medical
information includes insurance application forms as well as
health certificates, results of physical exams, etc.) Yes  No

a. Do you have a written policy regarding who has access to
medical information?

b. What is the policy? (A copy should be attached here.)

2. Do your employee recruitment materials, including photos and
ad copy, contain positive images of persons with disabilities
and indicate your program's commitment to inclusion of persons
with disabilities? Yes   No

3. Are inquiries related to the presence of a disability or the
possible presence of a disability that someone may have, limited
to performance of essential functions of the job and
requirements for reasonable accommodations?

a. Are supervisory staff aware of what constitutes legal and
illegal inquiries? Yes  No

b. If 'yes', how did they obtain this information? Describe. For
example, did they participate in a training session? Read
relevant literature? etc.

c. Have job descriptions been analyzed to determine which
functions of a job are 'essential' and which are 'marginal'? Yes
 No

If "yes", describe the process for doing this.

d. Are job descriptions in writing? Yes  No

e. Are any of the following questions asked during the
application process?

1. Health or physical condition? Yes  No

2. Physical or mental problems or disabilities? Yes  No

3. Medical history? Yes  No

4. Previous workers' compensation claims? Yes No

5. Prior health insurance claims? Yes   No

6. Past drug use or substance abuse? Yes No

NOTE: The ADA requires that these types of employment questions
no longer be used. Consider ADA training in interviewing.

7. Do you require that applicants for employment take any of the
following tests as part of the application process?

a. Drug or alcohol test? Yes  No

b. HIV tests? Yes  No

c. Skill or performance tests? Yes   No

d. Psychological tests? Yes   No

e. Intelligence tests? Yes  No

8. Do you have a substance abuse policy? Yes   No

 9. Do you have a drug testing policy? Yes   No

10. It is required that reasonable accommodation be provided to
employees and customers with disabilities. Reasonable
accommodation includes a broad range of adaptations to the
manner or circumstances in which a service activity is
performed, an interview is conducted, etc.

Reasonable accommodation might include:

Allowing an individual with a psychiatric disability to
periodically leave early or arrive late and later make up that
time

Making structural modifications to accommodate a participant who
uses a wheelchair

Providing auxiliary aids and services including sign language
interpreters, readers (for people who don't read print due to a
disability) or providing material in alternative format such as
Braille, ASCII disk, etc.

a. Have employees and applicants been informed that they are
entitled to reasonable accommodations? Yes   No

 b. If 'yes', how have they been so informed?

c. Are reasonable accommodations provided to Department of Labor
One-Stop Center program employees, applicants and customers with
disabilities? Yes   No

d. How do you know?

e. Has a reasonable written accommodations policy been
developed? (A copy should be attached.) Yes  No

f. Do supervisory staff know how to proceed if an accommodation
is requested? Yes   No

g. Has a specific supervisory staff member been designated to
coordinate reasonable accommodation, including determining when
an accommodation is or is not reasonable and when a funding
request will be made ? (Note: This is not required, but is
recommended.) Yes   No

h. Do they know how to secure a sign language interpreter if
necessary? Yes  No

 i. Do they know how to get material transcribed into Braille,
recorded on audio cassette, or placed on ASCII diskette? Yes
No

11. Are, as a matter of policy, interviews, staff meetings and
other gatherings held in accessible locations? (Accessible
locations include accessible entrances, meeting areas, and rest
rooms.) Yes   No

12. Are off-site staff trainings, holiday parties, picnics or
other gatherings held in accessible locations? Yes  No

13. Are reasonable accommodations, including sign language
interpreters, written materials in alternative format, etc.
provided to individuals with disabilities at off-site meetings,
trainings, and social events? Yes   No

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Section II: COMMUNICATIONS ACCESSIBILITY
 CHECKLIST for One-Stop Centers

Communications access refers to the way that information is
received and transmitted. When evaluating your program in terms
of access to communication, you will be assessing the four
different ways in which communication occurs: aural, oral,
cognition and visual. It is important to keep in mind that there
are four distinct, broad populations that are affected by your
level of accessibility in this area. These are: persons with
impaired hearing, speech, cognition and vision. In some ways,
communications access is more challenging to provide than
architectural access. A well-built and designed ramp will
provide access to a wide variety of persons with mobility
impairments. Large print, on the other hand, will only provide
access to a portion of the population with visual impairments.

1. Does the One-Stop have information that is communicated
visually? (Note: information communicated visually includes
brochures, enrollment forms, handbooks, videotapes, flip charts,
slides, posters, graphic directional signs, and so forth.) Yes
No

Type of information: Large print, Braille, Videotape, Readers,
Verbal description, Diskette, Pictorial, Signage, Other

2. Does the program involve information that is communicated
verbally? Yes   No

Type of information: Interpreter, TDD, Relay, Paper/Pen, CART,
RTC, Decoders, Written copies, oral interpreter, Other

Every effort should be made to meet an individual's preferred
method of auxiliary aids and services. If you cannot provide the
preferred method, you must ensure that whatever method you do
provide is effective for that individual.

3. Does the One-Stop Center inform persons with disabilities
that communications aids and services are provided upon request?
 (Note: It is not sufficient to only inform persons who have
identified themselves as having an accommodation need. You must
be able to inform the public-at-large). Yes   No

4. How do you do so?

5. Does the One-Stop have a procedure for deciding which
auxiliary aids and services to provide? Yes   No

6. Does the procedure provide for consideration of an
individual's preferred aid or service? Yes   No

7. Does the procedure include a mechanism for determining that
an aid or service that is provided other than aid or service
that was requested is equally effective? Yes   No

8. Does the program communicate with the public over the phone?
Yes   No

9. Are telephone conversations lengthy, complex, technical or
personal? Yes  No

10. Does the program have a TDD? Yes   No

11. If so, have staff been trained on the appropriate use of a
TDD? Yes   No

12. Is there a mechanism for re-training? Yes   No

13. Are staff trained in the use of the relay system? Yes   No

14. Are staff aware of the relay number? Yes   No

15. Does the program have a web page? Yes   No

16. Is the web page captioned? Yes   No

17. Is there a mechanism for ensuring that people who are deaf
or hearing impaired are aware of an activated fire or smoke
alarm? Yes   No

18. Is there an established emergency evacuation procedure that
addresses the needs of persons with disabilities? (This should
include the evacuation of persons with mobility impairments.)
Yes   No

19. Have staff been trained in this procedure? Yes   No

20. Please describe the training. Technology and accommodation
for People with Disabilities in the One-Stop Centers Because of
the One-Stop Center service delivery systems which include
computers, software and other technology we will be sending out
additional advisories from time to time. Some One-Stops will
need technical assistance to make sure that services,
technology, etc. can be used by people with disabilities. To
assist you we have developed a technical advisory group with the
Job Accommodation Network (JAN). Experts there can give you
advise on hardware, software and technology to enable people who
are blind, deaf, or have physical disabilities to use One-Stop
services. The JAN phone number is: 800 - JAN-7234 or
800-ADA-WORK.

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Section III: EXISTING FACILITIES CHECKLIST

A. Priority 1:

Accessible Entrance People with disabilities should be able to
arrive on the site, approach the building, and enter the
building as freely as everyone else. At least one path of travel
should be safe and accessible for everyone, including people
with disabilities.

..

Path of Travel

1. Is there a path of travel that does not require the use of
stairs? Yes  No

2. Is the path of travel stable, firm and slip-resistant? Yes
No

3. Is the path at least 36 inches wide? Yes   No

4. Can all objects protruding into the path be detected by a
person with a visual disability using a cane? (Note: In order to
be detected using a cane, an object must be within 27 inches of
the ground. Objects hanging or mounted overhead must be higher
than 80 inches to provide clear head room. It is not necessary
to remove objects that protrude less than 4 inches from the
wall.) Yes   No

5. Do curbs on the pathway have curb cuts at drives, parking,
and drop-offs? Yes   No

Ramps

6. Are the slopes of ramps no greater than 1:12? (Note: Slope is
given as a ratio of the height to the length. 1:12 means for
every 12 inches along the base of the ramp, the height increases
one inch. For a 1.12 maximum slope, at least one foot of ramp
length is needed for each inch of height.) Yes  No

7. Do all ramps longer than 6 feet have railings on both sides?
Yes   No

8. Are railings sturdy, and between 34 and 38 inches high? Yes
No

9. Is the width between railings at least 36 inches? Yes   No

10. Are ramps non-slip? Yes   No

11. Is there a 5-foot-long level landing at every 30-foot
horizontal length of ramp, at the top and bottom of ramps and at
switchbacks? Yes   No

Parking and Drop-Off Areas

12. Are an adequate number of accessible parking spaces
available (8 feet wide for car plus 5-foot striped access
aisle)? For guidance in determining the appropriate number to
designate, the table below gives the ADAAG requirements for new
construction and alterations (for lots with more than 100
spaces, refer to ADAAG): Total spaces Accessible 1 to 25 1 space
25 to 50 2 spaces 51 to 75 3 spaces 76 to 100 4 spaces (Note:
Check your state building code for parking requirements.
Sometimes state codes are more stringent.) Yes   No

13. Are 16-foot-wide spaces, with 98 inches of vertical
clearance, available for lift-equipped vans? Yes   No At least
one of every 8 accessible spaces must be van-accessible.

14. Are the accessible spaces closest to the accessible
entrance? Yes   No

15. Are accessible spaces marked with the International Symbol
of Accessibility? Are there signs reading "Van Accessible" at
van spaces? International Symbol of Accessibility: Yes  No

16. Is there an enforcement procedure to ensure that accessible
parking is used only by those who need it? Yes   No

Entrance

17. If there are stairs at the main entrance, is there also a
ramp or lift, or is there an alternative accessible entrance?
Yes   No
Do not use a service entrance as the accessible entrance unless
there is no other option.

18. Do all inaccessible entrances have signs indicating the
location of the nearest accessible entrance? Yes   No

19. Can the alternate accessible entrance be used independently?
Yes  No

20. Does the entrance door have at least 32 inches clear opening
(for a double door, at least one 32-inch leaf)? Yes   No

21. Is there at least 18 inches of clear wall space on the pull
side of the door, next to the handle? Yes   No
A person using a wheelchair needs this space to get close enough
to open the door.

22. Is the threshold level (less than 1/4 inch) or beveled, up
to 1/2 inch high? Yes   No

23. Are doormats 1/2 inch high or less, and secured to the floor
at all edges? Yes   No

24. Is the door handle no higher than 48 inches and operable
with a closed fist? Yes  No

The "closed fist" test for handles and controls: Try opening the
door or operating the control using only one hand, held in a
fist. If you can do it, so can a person who has limited use of
his or her hands.

25. Can doors be opened without too much force (maximum is 5
lbf)? Yes  No You can use a fish scale to measure the force
required to open a door. Attach the hook of the scale to the
doorknob or handle. Pull on the ring end of the scale until the
door opens, and read off the amount of force required. If you do
not have a fish scale, you will need to judge subjectively
whether the door is easy enough to open.

26. If the door has a closer, does it take at least 3 seconds to
close? Yes   No

Emergency Egress

27. Is there sufficient lighting for egress pathways such as
stairs, corridors, and exit routes? Yes   No

B. Priority 2:

Access to Goods and Services Ideally, the layout of the building
should allow people with disabilities to obtain goods or
services without special assistance. Where it is not possible to
provide full accessibility, assistance or alternative services
should be available upon request.

Horizontal Circulation

1. Does the accessible entrance provide direct access to the
main floor, lobby, or elevator? Yes   No

2. Are all public spaces on an accessible path of travel? Yes
No

3. Is the accessible route to all public spaces at least 36
inches wide? Yes   No

4. Is there a 5-foot circle or a T-shaped space for a person
using a wheelchair to reverse direction? Yes   No

Doors

5. Do doors in public spaces have at least a 32-inch clear
opening? Yes   No

6. On the pull side of doors, next to the handle, is there at
least 18 inches of clear wall space so that a person using a
wheelchair can get near to open the door? Yes   No

7. Can doors be opened without too much force (5 lbf maximum)?
Yes  No

8. Are door handles 48 inches high or less and operable with a
closed fist? Yes   No

9. Are all thresholds level (less than 1/4 inch), or beveled, up
to 1/2 inch high? Yes   No

Rooms and Spaces

10. Are all aisles and pathways to all goods and services at
least 36 inches wide? Yes   No

11. Is there a 5-foot circle or T-shaped space for turning a
wheelchair completely? Yes   No

12. Is carpeting low-pile, tightly woven, and securely attached
along edges? Yes   No

13. In routes through public areas, are all obstacles
cane-detectable (located within 27 inches of the floor or
protruding less than 4 inches from the wall), or are they higher
than 80 inches? Yes   No

14. Do signs designating permanent rooms and spaces, such as
rest room signs, exit signs, and room numbers, comply with the
appropriate requirements for accessible signage? Yes   No

Controls

15. Are all controls that are available for use by the public
(including electrical, mechanical, window, cabinet, game, and
self-service controls) located at an accessible height? Yes   No

Reach ranges: The maximum height for a side reach is 54 inches;
for a forward reach, 48 inches. The minimum reachable height is
15 inches.

16. Are they operable with a closed fist? Yes   No

Seats, Tables and Counters

17. Are the aisles between chairs or tables at least 36 inches
wide? Yes   No

18. Are the spaces for wheelchair seating distributed
throughout? Yes   No

19. Are the tops of tables or counters between 28 and 34 inches
high? Yes   No

20. Are knee spaces at accessible tables at least 27 inches
high, 30 inches wide, and 19 inches deep? Yes   No

Vertical Circulation

21. Are there ramps or elevators to all levels? Yes   No

22. On each level, if there are stairs between the entrance
and/or elevator and essential public areas, is there an
accessible alternate route? Yes   No

Stairs

23. Do treads have a non-slip surface? Yes   No

24. Do stairs have continuous rails on both sides, with
extensions beyond the top and bottom stairs? Yes  No

Elevators

25. Are there both visible and verbal or audible door
opening/closing and floor indicators (one tone = up, two tones =
down)? Yes   No

26. Are the call buttons in the hallway no higher than 42
inches? Yes   No

27. Do the controls outside and inside the cab have raised and
braille lettering? Yes   No

28. Is there a sign on the jamb at each floor identifying the
floor in raised and braille letters? Yes   No

29. Is the emergency intercom usable without voice
communication? Yes   No

30. Are there braille and raised-letter instructions for the
communication system? Yes   No

Lifts

31. Can the lift be used without assistance? If not, is a call
button provided? Yes   No

32. Is there at least 30 by 48 inches of clear space for a
person using a wheelchair to approach to reach the controls and
use the lift? Yes   No

33. Are controls between 15 and 48 inches high (up to 54 inches
if a side approach is possible)? Yes   No

C. Priority 3:

Usability of Rest Rooms when rest rooms are open to the public,
they should be accessible to people with disabilities. Closing a
rest room that is currently open to the public is not an
allowable option. Getting to the Rest Rooms

1. If rest rooms are available to the public, is at least one
rest room (either one for each sex, or unisex) fully accessible?
Yes   No

2. Are there signs at inaccessible rest rooms that give
directions to accessible ones? Yes  No Doorways and Passages

3. Is there tactile signage identifying rest rooms? Yes   No
Mount signs on the wall, on the latch side of the door. Avoid
using ambiguous symbols in place of text to identify rest rooms.

4. Is the doorway at least 32 inches clear? Yes   No

5. Are doors equipped with accessible handles (operable with a
closed fist), 48 inches high or less? Yes   No

6. Can doors be opened easily (5 lbf maximum force)? Yes   No

7. Does the entry configuration provide adequate maneuvering
space for a person using a wheelchair? Yes No

A person using a wheelchair needs 36 inches of clear width for
forward movement, and a 5-foot diameter clear space or a
T-shaped space to make turns. A minimum distance of 48 inches,
clear of the door swing, is needed between the two doors of an
entry vestibule.

8. Is there a 36-inch-wide path to all fixtures? Yes   No

Stalls

9. Is the stall door operable with a closed fist, inside and
out? Yes   No

10. Is there a wheelchair-accessible stall that has an area of
at least 5 feet by 5 feet, clear of the door swing, OR is there
a stall that is less accessible but that provides greater access
than a typical stall (either 36 by 69 inches or 48 by 69
inches)? Yes   No

11. In the accessible stall, are there grab bars behind and on
the side wall nearest to the toilet? Yes   No

12. Is the toilet seat 17 to 19 inches high? Yes   No

Lavatories

13. Does one lavatory have a 30-inch-wide by 48-inch-deep clear
space in front? Yes   No
 A maximum of 19 inches of the required depth may be under the
lavatory.

14. Is the lavatory rim no higher than 34 inches? Yes   No

15. Is there at least 29 inches from the floor to the bottom of
the lavatory apron (excluding pipes)? Yes   No

16. Can the faucet be operated with one closed fist? Yes   No

17. Are soap and other dispensers and hand dryers 48 inches high
or less and usable with one closed fist? Yes   No

18. Is the mirror mounted with the bottom edge of the reflecting
surface 40 inches high or lower? Yes   No

D. Priority 4:

Additional Access When amenities such as public telephones and
drinking fountains are provided to the general public, they
should also be accessible to people with disabilities.

Drinking Fountains

1. Is there at least one fountain with clear floor space of at
least 30 by 48 inches in front? Yes   No

2. Is there one fountain with its spout no higher than 36 inches
from the ground, and another with a standard height spout (or a
single "hi-lo" fountain)? Yes   No

3. Are controls mounted on the front or on the side near the
front edge, and operable with one closed fist? Yes  No

4. Does the fountain protrude no more than 4 inches into the
circulation space? Yes   No Telephones

5. If pay or public use phones are provided, is there clear
floor space of at least 30 by 48 inches in front of at least
one? Yes   No

6. Is the highest operable part of the phone no higher than 48
inches (up to 54 inches if a side approach is possible)? Yes
No

7. Does the phone protrude no more than 4 inches into the
circulation space? Yes   No

8. Does the phone have push-button controls? Yes   No

9. Is the phone hearing aid compatible? Yes   No

10. Is the phone adapted with volume control? Yes   No

11. Is the phone with volume control identified with appropriate
signage? Yes   No

12. Is one of the phones equipped with a telecommunications
device for the Deaf? telephone (TT/TTY/TDD)? Yes   No

13. Is the location of the TDD identified by accessible signage
bearing the International TDD Symbol? International TDD Symbol:
Yes   No

Help from disability community organizations and advocates

The One-Stop Access team strongly suggests that your region's
disability community leaders be included in the general
governance of a One-Stop Center. We have a list of these
organizations, on a state-by-state basis, and will provide them
to you. Call us for details. This is the list developed by the
President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities
for education and information.

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End of Document

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