HD32 - Report on Physical and Sensory Accessibility


Executive Summary:
House Joint Resolution No. 738 of the 1999 General Assembly Session (Appendix A) requested the Department of General Services (DGS) to study the physical and sensory accessibility of state-owned buildings and features within the Capitol Square complex. The Commonwealth is committed to making its facilities fully accessible to all people, ensuring that all of its citizens may participate in the legislative, administrative, and judicial functions of state government.

The Commonwealth has demonstrated that it supports the Americans With Disabilities Act by the many projects completed and presently in progress at the Capitol Square complex that enhance the physical and sensory accessibility to services, programs and activities. Some of the projects are as follows:

Capital Projects - All of these projects are capital projects, or portions of capital projects, that involved major accessibility improvements. The buildings were renovated or constructed to meet the accessibility codes that were in effect at the time of the project design. The Madison Building and the Virginia Distribution Center are currently under construction.

1. Madison Building Renovation
2. Jefferson Building Renovation
3. Executive Mansion Renovation and Addition
4. Library of Virginia
5. Main Street Station Conversion to Offices
6. Pocahontas Building Renovation
7. Seventh & Marshall Parking Garage Renovation
8. Virginia Distribution Center
9. Tyler Building

Elevator Projects - The elevator projects in the following buildings have improved the accessibility to the services, programs and activities on the floors of these multi-leveled buildings.

1. Monroe Building
2. The Capitol
3. VDOT Annex Building
4. Eighth Street Office Building
5. Ninth Street Office Building
6. Supreme Court Building (West Side)
7. Washington Building
8. Executive Mansion

Other Projects - Several tenant space modification projects have improved accessibility within the tenant spaces. Some of the modification projects are in the following locations.

1. Consolidated Laboratory Building
2. Monroe Building
3. Supreme Court Building
4. Eighth Street Office Building
5. Aluminum Building
6. Walkways on Capitol Square
7. Accessible Ramp by the Bell Tower

Future Capitol Projects - Projects identified in DGS's 2000-2006 Six-Year Capital Budget Request will, when approved, provide improved accessibility to facilities at the Capitol Square complex.

Although significant improvements have been made to remove barriers that prevent accessibility, this study has confirmed that there are additional improvements that can be made to enhance physical and sensory accessibility by individuals with disabilities throughout the Capitol Square complex. Also, due to the Commonwealth's periodic building code updates, some accessibility code requirements have changed since the design of the above mentioned projects. Therefore, in some cases, the study indicates further improvements can be made in those buildings.

This study provides cost estimates for improving the accessibility to the buildings at the Capitol Square complex. DGS recommends that as funds become available, accessibility improvements should be made in the order of the priorities outlined in the report.