Item A: City Hall Complex - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

October 11, 2007 Present: Ingrid Reasoner, LILA, Deaf Case Manager Eric Seratte, LILA, HOH/Deaf Coordination Assistant Linda Diaz, LLA, HOH/Deaf Coordinator Christian Watchie, T’NT Consultants Associate What would make a building intuitively welcoming, specifically for those who are deaf or with hearing impairments? Make it visually warm and welcoming. Like wood and the warmth of it. Have things to look at and touch. Have a more open and welcoming information desk. In addition to the person welcoming you, you need a directory and signage to guide you. A greeting person who knows how to talk with the deaf and is not afraid. Have a Sorensen Phone (a communication system that links the deaf with an immediate interpreter 24 hrs. a day) like the Federal Building. Have an accessible telephone prominently located, but also allow for privacy, like a booth. Use a color system for directions. Words and colors are welcoming. Have BIG PRINT on the signs. This helps not only the deaf but the elderly. Make directions obvious to all. Have adjustable lighting, but no fluorescents. Have art with pictures, history, that represent our past and with new things that represent today. We need to show why we are special. Art needs to be easy on the eyes, like black and white images. Have some color but not too busy. Have sign language art – a sort of “we are all in this world.” City services need a disability office or staff person who is versatile in all forms of disabilities. Many people who are hard of hearing don’t like to stand out in the crowd. What design elements, other than building layout, are helpful and which are detrimental? Ramps are good but need to have some sort of resting spaces.