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City staff outline plan to update Madison ADA transition plan; public-right-of-way inventory underway
Summary
City Disability Rights and Civil Rights staff presented Part 1 of a revitalized ADA transition plan, described the self-evaluation process and said a later presentation will share findings and an implementation schedule.
The City of Madison’s Department of Civil Rights presented the first part of a multistage effort to revitalize the city’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) transition plan, focusing on the project’s scope, who is responsible and the methods staff are using to inventory accessibility barriers.
Rebecca Hoyt, the city’s disability rights and services specialist, said the presentation was informational and that staff were not asking for commission action. “This presentation is informational. We’re not asking for any action from the commission this evening,” Hoyt said. She described the purpose of an ADA transition plan as producing a forward‑looking schedule of barrier removals and naming an implementation lead—the city’s ADA coordinator—so the city can make programs, facilities and public rights of way accessible over time.
Access to Independence, a disability‑led independent living center, is consulting on the project. Carly Major, Accessibility Services Specialist at Access to Independence, told commissioners the group will emphasize PROWAG (the Public Right‑of‑Way Accessibility Guidelines) and universal‑design best practices during the public‑right‑of‑way review.
What staff told the commission: - Staff have completed questionnaires and self‑evaluations across 24 departments and 32 programs; facility evaluations use the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design and the Federal Highway Administration ADA circular for transportation facilities. - The public‑right‑of‑way inventory relied on existing datasets (curb ramps, bus stops, shared‑use path locations); staff acknowledged they have not yet done a block‑by‑block curb‑ramp survey and will return with findings. - The draft transition plan will include inventories of missing curb ramps and accessible bus boarding pads, estimated costs and a recommended timeline for barrier removal. Hoyt said staff plan public engagement once the draft is ready for comment. - On web and digital accessibility, staff said WCAG 2.2 AA is expected to be required in April 2026 and the city aims to meet Section 508 where possible.
Why it matters: federal law requires cities with 50 or more employees to adopt an ADA transition plan and name an ADA coordinator. Hoyt said Madison adopted a plan in the 1990s but that portions became decentralized and standards and technologies have changed, making a consolidated, updated plan necessary.
Next steps: staff will continue the self‑evaluation, finish the public‑right‑of‑way inventory with estimated costs and return to the commission with Part 2 to present findings and a draft transition plan for public comment.
