Duncan Announces New Services To Assist Persons With Disabilities

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Ma/ADA.pr 00-288

Contact: Mary Anderson, 240-777-6530

For Immediate Release: July 31, 2000

DUNCAN ANNOUNCES NEW SERVICES TO
ASSIST PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan today announced that Montgomery County will begin providing closed captioning for all cable TV programming produced for the County's cable channel, County Cable Montgomery, and a pilot project to install audible traffic signals in downtown Silver Spring. Duncan also announced a series of other initiatives designed to break down barriers for people with disabilities.

"The Americans with Disabilities Act is a landmark civil rights law that has improved the lives of millions of people," said Duncan. "I am committed to building on our efforts to provide equal opportunity, full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency for all people with disabilities."

The County will contract with a closed captioning service to provide closed captioning for all Channel 55/6 programming, both live and pre-recorded. Comcast Cable of Maryland, Inc. and Starpower Communications, LLC have each agreed to pay for half the cost of the computer hardware and software needed (approximately $12,000). Annual funding for closed captioning ($50,000) will come from the County's Cable Television Fund, pending County Council approval.

As part of the redevelopment project in downtown Silver Spring, the County will be installing specialized traffic signals that will alert sight-impaired pedestrians when it is safe to cross. The audible traffic signal pilot will be evaluated to determine its effectiveness in a downtown environment.

Duncan was joined in the announcement by Nancy Bloch, executive director of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), members of the County's Commission on People with Disabilities and other disability rights advocates.

"The NAD applauds Montgomery County for ensuring closed captioning access to its cable channel," said Bloch. "It is clear that the County recognizes the potential of its deaf and hard of hearing residents and their right to full participation and involvement in all local community matters."

Over the last ten years, Montgomery County has been a leader in implementing the ADA on numerous fronts, including:

Installing audible traffic signals to alert pedestrians with visual impairments when it is safe to cross;

Installing more than 4,000 curb ramps since 1993 to help persons who use wheelchairs;

Outfitting Ride-On buses with wheelchair lifts;

Completing more than $4 million worth of modifications to 75 County facilities, including the installation of elevators, wheelchair lifts, wheelchair ramps, automatic door openers and redesigning bathrooms, modifications which meet or exceed ADA requirements;

Leading the fight for Hadley's Park, the state's first playground completely accessible to children with disabilities, allowing them to play side-by-side with children without disabilities;

Installing software and adapted computer work stations at all County public libraries to assist people with physical and visual impairments in accessing library resources;

Installing TTYs for customers who are deaf or hard of hearing at all but one County public library;

Funding a state-of-the-art computer lab at Davis Memorial Library in Bethesda, the County's special needs library;

Equipping County parks with 200 accessible swings; and

Obtaining an elevator at the Rockville MARC station.

In addition to the closed-captioning effort, Duncan announced several other initiatives, including:

appointing an interagency work group to develop an Access and Opportunity Plan which will focus on recruitment of persons with disabilities for County employment, recruitment of persons with disabilities to County boards and commissions and increasing accessibility in the public and private sectors;

mandatory training for all County employees on ADA requirements to increase access to County services for people with disabilities;

surveying the 3,000 food service facilities in the County and listing their accessibility information on the County's web site; and

conducting site visits at 227 polling places to identify barriers that may impede voting in the upcoming November election.

"Over the past ten years, Montgomery has been a leader in implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act," said Duncan. "We're intent on doing even more in this next decade to break down barriers and open doors for everyone in the community."

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