Lexington’s Jason Jones says transportation remains a primary challenge for many disabled citizens. Jones chairs Lexington’s Commission for People With Disabilities. He offered a report to city council members last week.
Jones, became a paraplegic following a car accident in 1990. He suggests architectural education deserves attention. He said quote “design gets in the way of accessibility and it doesn’t have to.” “I definitely think that we have not done a good job of training the people that do the designing and definitely people that do the inspection. I mean most of these guys are, you know, running through buildings every day because there’s so much volume that they have to do from a work standpoint,” said Jones.
Jones said access should be the same for both public and private structures. The Commission chair cites Lexington city hall as one of the tougher buildings to get into, and around, once inside.
The chair of Lexington’s Commission for People With Disabilities says the disabled can sometimes be the biggest offenders when it comes to accessible parking arrangements. Jones said the general public is typically pretty respectful of parking spots set aside for those with disabilities. But, he noted some people with placards don’t appreciate the room needed when there are multiple spots.
Here's more of the interview with Commission for People With Disabilities Chair Jason Jones:
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