Millions Will Be Affected: Hiring at the Department of Justice

In physical or built environments, technology is the cornerstone of security, safety, access control, credentials, tracking, and more in the 21st century.

Why then do we use 20th century technology for accessibility of physical environments for people with disabilities?

Fact. Finding the right professional to fill the open architect role at the U.S. Department of Justice is a critical objective.

If the wrong candidate is hired, the 90+% of the US blind population will continue to be left behind regarding physical environment accessibility under the ADA through 2029.

This is potentially why the DOJ is specifically looking for an architect who specializes in accessibility for physical environments. There’s a big, systematic problem in “Accessible Design” in the US. This person could be the lever to change it.

While talking with built environment OEM’s and integrators pointing out the myriads of accessibility barriers for the blind today, I’ll usually ask, “Do you know a blind person? Like regularly talk to or speak with a blind person at the bank, store, post office, or anywhere.”

Overwhelmingly I get resounding no’s. Here’s the follow up question.

“Is it possible these physical accessibility barriers are contributing to you experiencing that?”

Digitally and cost-effectively,

Currently, the built environment predominately supports inclusion for those with mobility impairments versus other protected disabilities under the ADA. However, digitally and cost-effectively, we can create the same independence for those with severe sensory and cognitive impairments as well, restoring dignity, agency, autonomy, safety, and the independence to access built environments equally for all.

To be clear, this is not an argument for replacing existing ADA standards and solutions in place… It is an argument to create equal opportunity for underserved and marginalized communities struggling to use and navigate built environments indoors and outdoors by implementing new regulations under the ADA.

This is why the DOJ’s next senior level hiring decision is sooo important. Literally, equality lays in the balance.

And to be fair… Many companies have been doing this for years. Because they’ve recognized the problematic gaps in the ADA of 1990, including all of its revisions and updates.

Ramps, automatic access control, parking, restroom stalls, Braille signage, elevators are game-changers. But the ADA is older than 1990.

1990 was just when the ADA was signed into law by President Bush. Meaning, mindsets, frames of reference, and politicians from the 1980’s designed, developed, and drafted the American’s with Disabilities Act.

Could any politician holding office today in 2023 accurately prophesize how technology will improve the daily lives of people in 2068?

Uh… no.

So how realistic is it for politicians holding office in 1988 to know how technology would be used today in 2023?

And more specifically, how could they even conceptualize how technology 45 years in the future would be leveraged for people with severe disabilities limiting their ability to travel independently across built environments?

While improved by the revisions of Accessible Design under the ADA in 2010, the nearly exclusive focus on barriers faced by those with mobility impairments-such as with parking, bathrooms, water fountains, elevators, ramps, and more-still puts blind, deafblind, deaf, illiterate or otherwise print disabled, cognitively impaired or delayed, and those managing multiple disabilities stuck suffering through built environment accessibility standards of 1988.

Numerous companies are already solving these built environment accessibility barriers by leveraging various technology stacks including Bluetooth Low-Energy, Ultrawide-Band, LiDAR, GPS, Geofences, QR codes, and more.

But the DOJ approaches built environment accessibility differently…

And here’s why that’s a problem…

Would you stay home or go out to the mall, restaurant, grocery store, movie theatre, theme park, hobby shop, sports bar, bowling alley, or anywhere if you faced the following hurdles and barriers every time you left your home?

1. I don’t know if I’ll be able to use the bathroom while at XYZ business/university/government building.
2. I don’t know if I’ll be able to find the main entrance to the building or venue when I get there.
3. I don’t know where the emergency exits are or if I’ll be able to find them in the event of a fire or emergency.
4. Where are the elevators located? Cashiers? Changing rooms? Water fountain? Food court? Snack machines?

Fact! Over 90% of the blind and visually impaired in the United States do not read Braille -according to the National Federation of the Blind-one of the oldest and largest blind and visually impaired advocacy agencies in the world.

The ADA requires the removal of architectural barriers when it is “readily achievable” to do so. Readily achievable means “easily accomplishable without much difficulty or expense.”

Thank goodness, there are a number of readily achievable software solutions with very little difficulty or financial expense to implement-software services usually do not require structural changes, can be deployed quickly, and are less expensive and faster than new construction or remodeling.

Implementing these readily achievable digital and software solutions will ensure dignity, safety, and independence for those with severe travel-limiting disabilities like the blind, deafblind, cognitively impaired, and those managing multiple disabilities. Not to mention the quality of life improvements, community engagement, and other new employment and educational opportunities for severely marginalized communities.

So sure. It’s easy to write off those with severe disabilities because we never see them, engage with them, or even realize their presence in the communities we live in.

People with severe disabilities like blindness would be much more prevalent in everyone’s day to day lives if simple civil rights were equally granted to and mandated for everyone in the United States. Simple things like:

1. A blind person knows what business, university, or government building they are entering without needing to be told by another human being.
2. A blind person can find where public restrooms are, navigate to them safely, and use them independently without needing to ask for help from another human being.
3. A blind person can locate any fire exit immediately and navigate themselves independently to safety in an emergency situation without waiting on assistance from another human being.
4. A blind person can readily access all public information on signage and building directories without needing to ask another human being for help.
5. A blind person should know how to find a building’s elevators and easily use them-such as touchscreen digital elevator interfaces (I’m talking to you Hilton Hotels & Resorts)-without relying on another human being for help.
6. Don’t even get me started on blind people muddling around trying to find hotel rooms.

This is just the beginning of built environment accessibility barriers blind people face today in 2023 despite the ADA being US law for over 30 years.

Hopefully the DOJ hires a Maverick who gets it and gets things done like Travis Willis

If you know of the right architect, maybe share this post with them. They could improve the lives of millions… Literally.

Below is an excerpt from the announcement.

#Architect #DOJ #Hiring

The Department of Justice is seeking an architect to specialize in accessibility with the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section.  This architect would utilize their knowledge of advanced architectural concepts, principles, and practices in order to serve as the design and technical expert evaluating and reporting on a variety of projects by other architects, engineers, and design professionals - from the planning stage through design, construction, and occupancy.

If you have questions about this job announcement, please contact Diane.M.Turner@usdoj  .gov.