Starke Commissioners Receive Update on ADA Compliance

Starke County Commissioners

Starke County is well on its way to becoming compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as ADA Coordinator Ted Bombagetti told the commissioners yesterday morning that the county will meet the Dec. 31 deadline for developing a plan for compliance.

The commissioners passed a resolution to adopt the ADA procedures and self-evaluation, and Commissioner Kathy Norem said the county’s website will soon offer links to view the ADA procedures along with the grievance procedure, which she said would be used in the event someone feels the county has not adequately addressed ADA needs.

The self-evaluation findings will also be published on the website, along with the statement of ADA compliance. The plan, Norem explained, contains a list of priorities for barrier removals, prioritized by importance.

She said some of the highest priorities include service counter heights, non-compliant doors, extremely non-compliant ramps, protruding objects, missing handrails or grab bars, and necessary signage. On top of that, the county also needs to address the lack of barrier-free parking, non-compliant dimensional issues and other items that need addressed.