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JBSA News
NEWS | May 14, 2014

JBSA-Randolph buildings comply with ADA standards by age, demand

By Alex Salinas Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs

Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph may be old - 83 years old this year, to be exact - but it is also keeps up with the times.

With many of its buildings constructed well before 1990, when Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act, JBSA-Randolph has since retrofitted some of them with handicapped-accessible features and designated parking spaces.

"Our goal is to provide accessible facilities to complete the Air Force mission," Antonio Matos, 502nd Civil Engineer Squadron project management team chief, said. "If people have special requirements, we are the point of contact."

While ADA law doesn't automatically apply to pre-1990 structures unless there is a new addition or renovation, some buildings at JBSA-Randolph are unaffected, but only those where ADA needs are not present.

Special requirements, such as handicapped parking additions, restroom stalls for the disabled, ramps and door width extensions, are requested via an Air Force Form 332, or a Base Civil Engineer Work Request.

Once forms are submitted, "we'll be aware of the issue and it will be recorded in our system," Matos said.

Instances where individuals, who work on the second floor of a building with no elevators, have become disabled have occurred at JBSA-Randolph. In these cases, the person's section or unit and civil engineers made accommodations for the person to work on the first floor.

Matos said the newest and some of the most visited buildings here, such as the Exchange, BXtra, fitness center and commissary, meet current ADA standards, including a clear path of egress from the parking space to the entrance.

Among the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design codebook is an outline for the number of handicapped parking spaces assigned to a given lot - one handicapped slot for every 25 spots up to 100 spaces. An additional handicapped slot is designated for every 50 spots up to 200 spaces, and another handicapped slot for every 100 spots up to 500 spaces. Two percent of the total is outlined for lots with 501 to 1,000 spaces.

"In a few cases, there may be more of those parking spaces (here) due to a large population of disabled military veterans," Matos said.

Handicapped parking violations should be reported to the base defense operations center at 652-5700.

"It's important that all portions of the traffic code are obeyed," Master Sgt. Leif Gisselberg, 902nd Security Forces Squadron NCO in charge of operations, said.

For more information about ADA amenities, call the 502nd CES customer service line at 671-5555, which will be the phone number for all JBSA civil engineering inquiries.