Not to make light of this very real problem but, to make it even more
complicated are very tall people like my husband who is over 6'6" tall.
Beth the OT
-----Original Message-----
From: St. John's University Cerebral Palsy List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of I. S. Margolis
Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2000 8:02 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re Accessibility
Long. Shows complexity of standardization issues.
Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2000 21:26:16 -0500
From: Angela Van Etten <[log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: JFA -- DREDF Action Alert: ADAAG Revised Completely (II)
Randy:
The source for my reference to 300,000 wheelchair users with limited
upper
body
movement (i.e. 20% of 1.5 million)
is the Federal Register during the initial ADAAG rulemaking in 1991 and
1992.
Source: July 26, 1991 Fed. Reg. comments (56 FR 35408, 35430); May 6,
1992
Fed.
Reg. comments (57 FR 19472); Sept. 8, 1992 Fed. Reg. comments (57 FR
41006)
of
disability groups.
I tried to go back on the net to pull the exact quotation from the July
26,
1991
and May 6, 1992 Fed Reg, but unfortunately the Fed Reg is only on line
as
far
back as 1995. However, I do have an electronic file of the Sept. 8,
1992
Fed
Reg as shown below:
"Research sponsored by the [Access] Board in the 1980's tested the reach
of
wheelchair users in both laboratory and field conditions and found that
more
than 20% of the persons tested could not reach devices above 48 inches
with
the
exception of devices that required a flat hand push or finger push and
1.5
lb.
or less force to operate. E. Steinfield, "Hands-On Architecture" Volume
3,
Part
II, 9(1986)." Source: 57 FR 41006 (September 8, 1992)
"Human engineering data compiled by Henry Dreyfuss Associates shows that
from a
parallel approach, a short female wheelchair user (58.3 inches height)
can
reach
53 inches vertically and 48.5 inches over a 12 inch obstruction and a
tall
male
wheelchair user (73.6 inches height) can reach 71.2 inches vertically
and
67.7
inches over a 12 inch obstruction. Henry Dreyfuss Associates,
"Humanscale 1,
2,
3" Selector 3a (1974). Henry Dreyfuss Associates notes that these
maximum
reaches are valid only for wheelchair users who are capable of full arm
movement
and estimates this group to be 42% of all wheelchair users. Id at 26.
Henry
Dreyfuss Associates recommends a "handy reach zone" between 36 inches
and 48
inches above the floor as accommodating a larger percentage of
wheelchair
users." Source: 57 FR 41006 (September 8, 1992)
Randy Fisher
-----Original Message-----
From: Angela Van Etten [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2000 8:59 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: JFA -- DREDF Action Alert: ADAAG Revised Completely
(II)
I just received the DREDF Action Alert on the ADAAG Revisions and
support
[1] DREDF'S position that we appeal to the Access Board to lower the
unobstructed side reach range from 54" to 48".
I write from the perspective of an individual with dwarfism (also
known
as
a
Little Person) and stand at 3 feet 4 inches. Little People share an
access
problem with many wheelchair users. Sitting or standing the effect is
the
same
-- more than 300,000 of us can't reach 54." Indeed 80% of individuals
with
dwarfism can't reach 54" and I'm told that 20% of the individuals who
use
wheelchairs -- i.e. those with limited upper body movement -- are
being
denied
access to many critical elements in public facilities.
<snip>
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