Accessible Cities Alliance Generates Support           

The efforts of a broad-based coalition of community leaders and disability advocates were reinforced this month with two positive developments from an area labor group, as well as a local financial institution. 

The Accessible Cities Alliance has received a grant from the Three Rivers Construction Alliance, the labor management arm of the Contractors Association of Will and Grundy Counties.  The grant will be used for educational outreach to contractors, subcontractors, builders and developers, an important cog in the wheel of a building’s accessibility. The partnership between the ACA and TRCA will actively promote local labor’s knowledge and application of options to remove barriers for persons with disabilities in public accommodations throughout the area. 

In related news, a second local bank has stepped up to offer businesses a favorable lending rate with loans applied to renovations toward Americans with Disabilities Act compliance. Founders’ Bank President Mike Rittof has confirmed that Founders’ Bank will offer a rate reduction of 0.5% on business loans. In doing so, Founders Bank follows the lead of First Midwest Bank, which announced a reduced interest rate loan package during the Accessible Cities Alliance kick-off in July. 

Advisors are Cross Section of Community
The Accessible Cities Alliance has generated support from a wide range of individuals who now serve as advisors to the Alliance.  During their quarterly meeting today,representatives from disability organizations, minority communities, media, education, labor, financial, medical, Joliet Chamber and local businesses joined with municipality representatives from the County, City of Joliet and City of Lockport to discuss progress and next steps.   

Sponsorship Speaks to Strong Local Support
In an overview presented by ACA Co-Chairs Val Rand and Denise Winfrey, it was reported that 19 sponsors have pledged financial support to the Alliance. Those sponsors include: Caterpillar, City of Joliet, Rich Clementi, D’Arcy Automotive, Ed and Gloria Dollinger, Exxon Mobil, First Midwest Bank, Founders Bank, The Herald News, Joliet Municipal Employees Credit Union, Joliet Dodge, Modern Builders Industrial Concrete, Nicor Gas, PDM, Prairie Trail Credit Union, Rand’s Hallmark, Silver Cross Hospital, Three Rivers Trade Alliance, Russ and Dorothy Wunderlich.   

ACA Website Popular Resource Tool

The update also included news that the Alliance website has received more than 4,500 information requests since its unveiling in July, 2005.  The site was established to be a “one-stop shop” for those in need of answers to accessibility questions they might otherwise be afraid to ask, said Winfrey.  Providing a broad range of federal, state and local resources, as well as detailed information on accessibility compliance, allows an individual – whether that be a subcontractor, property owner or accountant – to determine what is involved in breaking down barriers to access for persons with disabilities.  

Resources and Cooperation with Business is Key

In the future, the site will be updated to include a “Business Checklist for Compliance,” as well as an interactive option for those needing information to work directly with the Alliance in working toward compliance.  Equally important, according to Val Rand, is the ACA’s efforts to get businesses who do currently offer full accessibility to contact the Alliance and become part of the Accessible Business Directory.  This directory would be valuable to persons with all disabilities of all ages in planning for a fully accessible experience when visiting, shopping, obtaining services, working or seeking recreation in the Joliet and Will County area.  The holiday shopping season can be a particularly challenging time for persons with disabilities as they come upon barriers to access in public accommodations.  Key areas of focus are access to parking, entrance, goods and services, restrooms and reasonable accommodations.

“We know that good access is good business. The important message at this time is that the ACA wants to help those businesses that are compliant to promote that access to this untapped consumer base.”  Rand referred to a presentation made recently by Peter Berg of the Great Lakes ADA and Accessible IT Center, a partner of the Alliance, who offered staggering statistics on the potential impact of this minority on national and local economic scene.  The U.S. Census Bureau reports show that some 54 million Americans are currently experiencing a disability, or one in five.  Further, the U.S. Department of Labor reports that discretionary spending by this population is $175 billion annually.    

The Alliance is eager to reach out to persons with disabilities in the Joliet and Will County region to gather information on businesses and public accommodations which are currently offering full access for persons with disabilities.  Similarly, the Alliance would like to learn about inaccessible buildings or business, so that resources and information can be shared with the owners and operators to reach voluntary compliance standards. 

The Accessible Cities Alliance is a broad-based coalition of partners, initiated and coordinated by the Will-Grundy Center for Independent Living.  Key partners include the City of Joliet and the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who joined forces more than two years ago and worked to generate wide support from area leaders.The mission of the Alliance is threefold:  1)  ; 2.)  and 3.)