Vancouver City Council

REPORT TO COUNCIL

SPECIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON DISABILITY ISSUES

FEBRUARY 19, 2003

RTS: 3279
CC File: 3053-1
Council: April 8, 2003

RECOMMENDATION

1. Rotunda Upgrades

At its meeting on Thursday, February 6, 2003, the Special Advisory Committee on Disability Issues (SACDI) discussed the recent renovations at the Rotunda.

A brief history of the Rotunda upgrade is as follows:

1. Originally, the Rotunda was constructed with a horizontal desk surface that could be used by persons with mobility disabilities. The structure did not, however, include a full horizontal cut-out as outlined in both the BC Building Code and the Vancouver Building By-law (Section 3.8.3.18.(1)).
2. SACDI requested that the Rotunda be renovated to include a full horizontal cut-out.
3. A SACDI representative met with City of Vancouver staff on September 9, 2002, to brainstorm possible solutions. Proposals were made and drawings provided which incorporated a partial cut-out. The two justifications given for the existence of the partial cut-out were security and the incorporation of a light fixture in horizontal portion. Because of positioning of the light, the partial cut-out portion could not be designed lower.
4. The SACDI representative countered that lowering the vertical height would be the preferred solution and gave specifics.
5. Construction was initiated.
6. The resulting partial cut-out remained high, however a built-in light fixture, the main justification for the partial cut-out, was not incorporated into the design. Instead, a hole was drilled in the horizontal-working surface to accommodate the cord of a free-standing lamp positioned on desk.
7. On February 19, 2003, Lorna McCreath, Director, Equal Employment Opportunity Program, requested a meeting with the Facility Planning and Construction Department at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH). The objective was to gather information on how VGH successfully integrates accessibility into its planning process.
8. On March 5, 2003, a successful meeting was held with four representatives of the City and two from the hospital's planning department. This resulted in the City expressing an enthusiastic desire to assimilate accessibility into the civic planning process at the design stage.

SACDI expressed its disappointment with the initial negotiations and outcomes. There was unanimous consensus that there is a need to continue working beyond the rotunda difficulties, not only in the current context, but also for accessibility issues in general.

In light of these concerns, the Special Advisory Committee on Disability Issues therefore

RECOMMENDS

THAT a formal liaison is established and communications initiated between a proposed City facilities team and the Special Advisory Committee on Disability Issues. Thus, the involvement of key individuals will be fostered in communications concerning municipal facility recommendations and construction.

(Signed) "Paul Tubbe" (Signed) "Pamela Andrews"
Paul Tubbe, Chair Pamela Andrews, Vice Chair
Special Advisory Committee on Special Advisory Committee on
Disability Issues Disability Issues

CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The City Manager fully supports the proposed Recommendation relating to liaison between the Facilities team and the SACDI.

Upgrading the rotunda required extensive consultation and cooperation of many participants with differing demands. The rotunda is a designated heritage interior with a small floor area which is further constrained by approaches from four different directions. Finding a design solution, which was sympathetic to heritage dictates for symmetry, which welcomed access by all citizens, including those with disabilities, which provided physical security for staff and further protected them from ergonomic injuries, was quite a challenge. Everyone involved in the review of the rotunda, including the Committee, learned something more about communication and compromises which are inevitable throughout the design process.

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