Highland ADA Transition Plan

To aid the City of Highland in its goal towards ADA compliance, Oates developed a planning document to assist the City in addressing ADA compliance of buildings, facilities, and sidewalks and prioritizing improvements.

The process began by conducting field visits and reviewing existing information, including planning documents, GIS information, future city improvement plans affecting the facilities, and ordinances and permits requirements. A summary of findings along with recommendations for changes to city documents was prepared related to accessibility and future actions to increase accessibility throughout the City – not just limited to City owned facilities.

Meetings with key groups and online surveys aided in identifying issues that affect accessibility throughout Highland. Evaluation criteria, which were used to categorize characteristics of the sidewalk, focused on two main characteristics: the physical condition of the sidewalk and compliance with ADA requirements.

A form guided field personnel through the data collection process, ensuring complete and consistent information was collected at each location. The form included the collection of data on sidewalk and curb ramp widths, cross-slopes, longitudinal slopes, physical condition, obstructions, and other characteristics for comparison to ADA requirements and specifications.  The criteria were used to grade the severity of the defects and categorize the sidewalk segments observed.  Oates inventoried 45 miles of sidewalks and curb ramps as part of the development of the Plan.

Following the completion of the Plan, Oates Associates provided an educational seminar on the specifics of developing an ADA Transition Plan. The Deputy City Clerk for Highland hosted the program for the Southwestern Illinois Municipal Clerks Association.