Appomattox Town Council hears ADA compliance review

Appomattox Town Council heard an American Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance review in regard to potential Town Hall building renovations at its July 23 meeting. The presentation was given by Blair Smith of Lynchburg-based Dominion Seven Architects.

As Smith explained, ADA is a federal law created in 1990. Its purpose is to prevent discrimination against people based on disabilities, and its passage, according to Smith, resulted in the creation of building codes to assist the permanently or temporarily disabled. In accordance, Virginia follows the Virginia construction code, most recently updated in 2021.

Smith told council that although the Town Hall building underwent upgrades about 15 years ago, and hand rails in a bathroom were installed, ADA compliance was largely left out.

“Outside of that, there wasn’t much consideration given to making this floor, or even down in DMV, accessible,” he said.

There’s more to this in the current issue of the Times Virginian newspaper. Support local journalism by purchasing the issue at a local newsstand or subscribing at www.timesvirginian.com/subscriber_services to receive the print edition or view the full article in the e-edition version.