Aurora council hears ADA self-evaluation; refers phase 1 to study session for public comment

At a recent Aurora City Council meeting, Carlin Shorb, Aurora's Title II Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator and program manager for the Office of ADA Compliance and Accessibility, presented the city's draft ADA self-evaluation and transition plan and asked the council to refer phase 1 to a study session so the plan can be released for public comment.

The presentation reported large portions of the city's pedestrian infrastructure are out of compliance with current standards: "92 percent of pedestrian push buttons in the city of Aurora are noncompliant," Shorb said, and the field data found "95.9% of curb ramps" and about "77.91% of sidewalks" are noncompliant under current ADA standards. Shorb said the city phased the transition plan into four parts, with phase 1 focused on public right-of-way infrastructure, phase 2 on emergency planning and operations, phase 3 on buildings and facilities, and phase 4 on parks and recreation. Staff told the council they hope to finalize the initial plan by 2027.

Why it matters: staff said the noncompliance numbers are typical for many U.S. cities conducting similar reviews, but they flagged the legal and…