Designing Accessibility

By H.M. Cauley

After much anticipation, the Atlanta Braves opened the gates to their new stadium this spring, and the venue has drawn oohs and aahs from fans and concert-goers alike. It’s also gotten rave reviews from Dominic Marinelli, a resident of Buffalo who played a special role in creating the guest experience.

Marinelli, who uses a wheelchair, serves as vice president of accessibility services for the New York-based United Spinal Association. In this role, he consults with architects and designers who are working on projects that will open their doors to the public.

Marinelli’s extensive background, first-hand experience and expert eye allow him to see accessibility issues that need to be addressed long before a concert hall or stadium is finished.

THE RULES

According to the US Department of Justice (DOJ) – Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires new stadiums to be accessible to people with disabilities so they, their families and friends can enjoy equal access to entertainment, recreation and leisure.

Other accessibility requirements, such as those for parking lots, entrances and rest rooms, also apply but these are the same as for other buildings. Compliance with all the accessibility requirements is essential to provide a basic level of access for people with disabilities.

On September 15, 2010, the DOJ published revised ADA regulations in the Federal Register that update and amend some of the provisions in the original 1991 ADA regulations. These changes include revised accessibility standards, called the 2010 Standards for Accessible Design (2010 Standards), which establish minimum criteria for accessibility in design and construction.

The 2010 Standards applied to State and Local Governments and Places of Public Accommodations.

This includes any non-federal department, agency, district or instrumentality of a State or local government. (e.g., state arts commissions and councils, city-owned or operated cultural centers, recreational venues and parks, libraries, state colleges and universities.)

Places of Public Accommodation include any facility operated by a private, non-governmental entity and open to the public. For example: theaters, museums, concert halls, arts and performing arts centers, stadiums, private colleges and universities, lecture halls, galleries, parks, zoos, other places of exhibition or entertainment and assembly areas.

These standards became mandatory after 18 months, or March 15, 2012. On and after this date, the standards mentioned were replaced by the 2010 Standards, which became mandatory and enforceable, and must be applied to all new construction, renovations, modifications, alterations and barrier removal.

The 2010 Standards also raised the accessibility standards of different components of a complete fan experience.

There were new requirements for the Assistive Listening Systems (ALS) that determined audible communication is integral to the use of the space, but are not required where audio amplification is not provided – such as sporting events. Additionally, 25% of the receivers must be hearing aid compatible.

The revised regulations also included a section devoted exclusively to the regulation of ticketing for wheelchair spaces and companion seats, among other provisions.

Atlanta Falcons Mercedes-Benz Stadium

STADIUMS

“Accessibility and what we do has always been part of the organization,” says Marinelli. “But within the last several years, what we do has really increased three or four times from when we started.”

Hiring accessibility experts has become the norm on major stadium projects, echoes Mike Galifianakis, the State’s ADA coordinator for Georgia’s Financing and Investment Commission. “Accessibility has come so far that the design and build firms always hire an accessibility consultant to review plans, do the checks, measure parts of construction and do the sign offs,” he says.

In 2007, the Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission (GSFIC) and the State ADA Coordinator’s Office initiated the Statewide Facilities Accessibility Project. Recognizing the State’s leadership role in ensuring accessible design throughout Georgia’s public and private sectors, the State established a comprehensive accessibility plan for state-owned and operated facilities, in order to increase the accessibility and usability of these facilities for persons with disabilities.

Establishing that code was a significant part of the work performed by Marinelli’s association, whose roots go back as far as the days post-World War II when returning veterans – many of whom never believed they’d ever get out of the hospital – found themselves back in the world where accessibility issues were not addressed.

“They were discharged into the wonderfully inaccessible world of 1946 New York,” says Marinelli. “So our organization began then to work on access for our members – people with spinal cord injuries or diseases.”

When Marinelli first went to work for the association, his focus was largely on developing accessibility standards for buildings. “We researched what our members needed, and that went into our standards,” he recalls. “Then in 1986, that standard began to be adopted by building codes around the country and became the basis for the Fair Housing Act and the original ADA standards.”

Because of that expertise, the association has historically played a role in developing accessibility requirements for people with any disability, and the staff has become what Marinelli describes as “accidental consultants” who now work on building codes and present information about those codes to design professionals and architects around the country. Among the variety of projects they add their ideas to are stadiums.

“We’ve been working on [stadiums] for a long time,” says Marinelli. “Over time, the standards have been refined to incorporate things that solve the unique challenges of a large assembly area.”

Among Marinelli’s credits are the new Yankees Stadium, the refurbished Madison Square Garden, the Minnesota Vikings’ US Bank Stadium and Target Field, the home turf of the Minnesota Twins. In Atlanta, he was a key advisor for the Braves’ new SunTrust Park, and he is currently working with the builders of Mercedes-Benz Stadium where the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United will officially call home this fall.

One of the first steps he takes is to review architectural plans and pinpoint any possible design issues. He ensures that basic requirements around the slopes of ramps, elevators, accessible concession stands and bathrooms are in place. By the time the construction documents are finalized, the key elements are usually in place, but Marinelli goes farther, making it a point to host focus group meetings with members of the public to hear first-hand what their needs are.

“We are a disability organization, and we represent people with spinal cord injuries or diseases, so that is the community we meet with to get their feedback,” he says. “We met with fans of the Braves and Falcons to talk about their experiences in the old stadiums and to hear what they’d like to see in the new ones.”

Public venues such as stadiums pose unique challenges to accessibility, Marinelli says. Among the issues he’s worked to address in his projects, including those in Atlanta are availability of wheelchair spaces, inclusion, dispersed seating and line of sight.

PUBLIC VENUE ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES

• Availability of Wheelchair Spaces: At least one percent of the seating must be wheelchair seating locations. Each wheelchair seating location is an open, level space that accommodates one person using a wheelchair.
• Inclusion: Accessible seating must be an integral part of the seating plan so that people using wheelchairs are not isolated from other spectators or their friends or family.
• Dispersed Seating: Whenever more than 300 seats are provided, wheelchair seating locations must be provided in more than one location. This is known as dispersed seating. Wheelchair seating locations must be dispersed throughout all seating areas and provide a choice of admission prices and views comparable to those for the general public.
• Line of Sight: Spectators in wheelchairs must be able to see the action on the field when the crowd around them is standing by installing raised wheelchair areas.

The Total Fan Experience

“In one way or the other, sports teams and their owners often solicit information from disability communities or the public to try and incorporate accessibility features into the design, even features that may not be required by code,” added Galifianakis.

Marinelli did just that. The team held focus groups that would recommend additional improvements to make the fan experience memorable for people with all abilities.

The focus groups in Atlanta suggested additional improvements such as more power outlets, restroom access and even accessible concession stands.

As a result, those visiting SunTrust Park and Mercedes-Benz Stadium who need power for their support systems will find outlets at accessible spaces. In addition to bathrooms with accessible stalls, patrons will find more family restrooms that make it easy for members of the opposite sex to assist those who need help, and those facilities will be spread throughout the stadiums. Instead of having only a few accessible concession stands, fans will find all of the counters have been lowered to 36 inches.

These improvements demonstrate that both teams are committed to making their home fields as easy to access as possible, says Marinelli.

“In both these stadiums, the teams were proactive in getting us involved. And they weren’t just giving these issues lip service. The Braves, for instance, had a committee we worked with, and the Falcons sent a representative to all of our meetings. Both of them understood the issues facing people with disabilities.”

Just before SunTrust Park opened, Marinelli had the chance for a final visit to see how accessible it is. “It’s just beautiful, bright and airy,” he says. “I think people will find both these new stadiums are significantly better. They’re like going from a Pinto to a Cadillac!”

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