WYTHE FACES COST OF PROVIDING ACCESS FOR DISABLED PEOPLE

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 10, 1993                   TAG: 9303100254
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C3   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WYTHEVILLE                                LENGTH: Medium
WYTHE FACES COST OF PROVIDING ACCESS FOR DISABLED PEOPLE
Southwest Virginia counties like Wythe, which boast a large number of historic buildings housing local government offices, are facing substantial costs to make them accessible to the handicapped in the next few years.
Localities must have a plan to make government-owned buildings accessible and be putting it into place by 1995, Richard W. Houchins, head of the Thompson & Litton architectural department, told the Wythe County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
The county hired the engineering firm to survey its buildings and see what is needed to bring them into compliance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The act requires all local government programs and services to be accessible to all citizens.
County Administrator Billy Branson estimated the costs of all the required architectural changes to be in the $500,000 range.
Houchins said Wythe is the only county to have hired Thompson & Litton to make such a survey, but the same situation will be facing all counties using older buildings.
Wythe's worst problem will be its jail, Houchins said. "It truly is in total noncompliance in every way."
He said he would not even recommend trying to make its second floor accessible, and suggested the county look further into the idea of a regional jail which has been proposed with other Southwest Virginia localities. "Before you as a county spend a tremendous amount of money on the jail, you might want to evaluate your long-term goals," he said.
Doors in places like the county courthouse would have to have levers instead of knobs, and some door frames would have to be widened to accommodate wheelchairs.
The courthouse has its circuit court and some other offices on its top floor. "If those functions are going to remain on the second floor, then I don't see any way that you can avoid putting an elevator in that building," he said.
The old elevator in county administration and social services building would have to be replaced, too, he said. Signs directing people to handicapped-accessible entrances must include raised Braille lettering so the blind can also read them, he said.
Even relatively new buildings like the county library need minor modifications, he said. It has an access ramp, but the ramp is too steep. The dog pound needs some paving and a sidewalk to its side entrance.
The county also got a letter from a company complaining about unpaid bills totaling more than $5,600 for materials delivered to the law library.
Fees generated from court proceedings and contributions from the county bar association are insufficient to stock it with all the volumes used by the legal profession. Supervisor John Davis suggested making the total a budget line item and restricting spending to that amount, rather than leaving it open-ended in the budget and being stuck with whatever the bills are.
"Out on my farm, I'm not going to buy more fertilizer than I can pay for. They shouldn't do it with lawyers," said Supervisor Jack Crosswell.
The board authorized Davis to meet with Court Clerk Hayden Horney and a bar association representative on the matter, before its next meeting March 23.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB