Inclusion Daily Express -- City Supervisor May Have To Wait A Year For Accessible Chamber (Sept. 29, 2004)

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City Supervisor May Have To Wait A Year For Accessible Chamber
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
September 29, 2004

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA--It may be another year before the president's dais in San Francisco's Board of Supervisors chamber is accessible to Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier, the first wheelchair user on the board.

What has been the hold-up, considering that Alioto-Pier was selected to replace Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed Alioto-Pier to replace him as District 2 supervisor back in January?

Bureaucratic red tape, says the San Francisco Examiner.

Susan Mizner, director of the Mayor's Office of Disability, said that disability experts, public works officials and preservation architects have completed a review of more than a dozen design options. Mizner is now waiting for the City Attorney to weigh in on what to do next.

Mizner does expect the changes to the 1915 City Hall building to be approved by the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board and the Mayor's Disability Council.

"It's a little frustrating, but understanding this particular room and the historical significance associated with it, I think it's better we take a little time and do a good job," said Alioto-Pier, who uses a wheelchair because she is paralyzed below her waist.

In 1999, designers were praised for how they made the historic building accessible to people with disabilities as it underwent a $300 million renovation and restoration. All of the entrances into the 88-year-old building were made wheelchair-accessible, along with the offices, bathrooms and public hearing rooms. Even the mayor's private shower was made accessible.

The only place not made accessible was the president's dais in the Board of Supervisors chamber, which could only be reached by climbing a set of five stairs. State preservation authorities gave city officials special permission to leave the raised platform as it was, with the understanding that the accessibility problem would be corrected later on.

Related:
"Supe's wheelchair ramp hits snag" (San Francisco Examiner)

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