Buildings on campus lack signs for visually impaired

Union slated to update placards

Tactile signs for the visually impaired will finally arrive this week for the University Union.

But other buildings on campus do not have the correct Braille or raised-letter signs for the visually impaired.

Gabe Griffith, a visually impaired student, says that he can usually find the building where his class is being held but “once I get in, I can’t find the room number without asking somebody.”

The Americans with Disabilities Act, enacted in 1992, requires accessibility for the disabled and mandates that all buildings must have tactile signs marking both the outside of the building and all of the rooms inside.

California also has a version of the ADA called Title 24. Title 24 requires higher tactile sign surfaces than what the federal government requires.

Buildings built before 1992 are not required to follow these regulations, but when remodeling or additions take place, as they did in the University Union last year, then the whole building needs to be brought up to code.

According to Donald Tucker, assistant director of operations for the Union, “there is a very large sign order pending,” and the Braille and raised print signs are due to arrive today. Tucker said that installation will begin immediately and will take approximately one week to complete.

“Every place where there are offices, meeting rooms, main entrances, lobbies, elevators, and stairwells, signs will go up,” said Tucker. The signs that are in place now are temporary and were put up after remodeling was completed to identify the names of the rooms in the Union.

Currently, only Lassen and Placer halls have the appropriate tactile signs required by the law.

Howard Harris, associate vice president of Facilities Management, said that his department was working to bring all of the buildings on campus up to code.

“We plan to do one building a year,” said Harris. “Mendocino Hall is next.”

Griffith is a member of the University Campus Persons with Disabilities Committee, which is responsible for identifying places on campus that do not have the correct Braille signs and alerting Facilities Management about the problems.

Eugene Lozano, a disability management counselor, said that student input on accessibility issues is vital and that the upcoming campus improvements are a sign of that.

“Students have more power than they realize. They can get things done,” said Lozano.