FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 30, 2023
Charlottesville Announces ADA Transition Plan Update
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Furthering its commitment to accessibility, the City of Charlottesville is embarking on an update of its Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plan.
“The City of Charlottesville believes that all City facilities, programs, and services should be accessible to all members of the community,” ADA Coordinator Paul Rudacille said. “While we are continuously working on improving accessibility, an updated Transition Plan will help us benchmark where we are now and develop a roadmap for where we can be in the future.”
The Transition Plan process involves an accessibility barrier self-assessment of City-owned right-of-way, facilities, parks, programs, and services. A review of the City’s website accessibility is included as well. The self-assessment of the City’s ROW was completed earlier this week, with more than 165 miles of sidewalk assessed for accessibility barriers. City parks and facilities will be assessed this fall, while a review of programs/services is performed concurrently.
“Updating Charlottesville’s Transition Plan, which was last updated in 2013, will further many of the goals from the 2021 Comprehensive Plan update,” City Manager Sam Sanders said. “We are committed to making our beautiful City accessible to all members of the community, whether it’s our pedestrian areas or City facilities. Investing in this Transition Plan update shows that Charlottesville backs up words with action too.”
A crucial part of the ADA Transition Plan process is public input. Community collaboration enhances the ADA Transition Plan by ensuring focus isn’t just on accessibility barriers, but also on the lived experience of those with disabilities in the community.
Charlottesville community members are encouraged to take the below survey and to spread it to other members of the community. There is a longform survey, which takes approximately 10 minutes to complete as well as a shortform survey that can be completed in under 2 minutes.
ADA TP Community Engagement Survey: https://www.surveyhero.com/c/cvilleADATPsurvey
ADA TP Abbreviated Survey: https://www.surveyhero.com/c/CvilleADATPShort
Charlottesville has contracted with Precision Infrastructure Management (PIM), a consulting firm with extensive experience in ADA-related projects, to perform, manage, and draft the final ADA Transition Plan with close City support. Those wishing to communicate with PIM and offer additional feedback, are encouraged to do so by contacting:
Charlie Szold
Managing Partner
c.szold@precisioninfrastructuremgmt.com
A townhall-style meeting to solicit additional feedback will be hosted on September 20th at 6 pm at CitySpace. The presentation will be available to view online, as well.
Media Contact
Charlie Szold
Managing Partner
Precision Infrastructure Management
c.szold@precisioninfrastructuremgmt.com
