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Accessibility News Archives
AEMA Annual General Meeting to be held in
Baltimore, MD
This year, again in conjunction with the NAEC Annual Convention.
The date of the meeting will be Thursday September 30, 2004.
It will be in the convention Centre. Tentatively the AGM has
been set to start at 2:00pm and will last probably about an
hour. All members are welcome and urged to attend. From 3:00PM
to 3:30PM will be the Director's meeting where the new Board
members will be elected for 2005. AEMA will have a social
gathering after the Director's meeting lasting from 4:00PM
to 6:00PM. The meeting room for the AGM and the Director's
meeting
will be Room 304 and the Social Gathering will be next door
in room 305 starting at 4:00PM.
NAEC
Press Release: United In Toronto 2005
For additional information, contact: Teresa Shirley, Executive
Director National Association of Elevator Contractors at 770-760-9660
or via email: teresa@naec.org
September 26 - 29, 2005. Four national elevator organizations
will partner in Toronto, Canada for the first jointly sponsored
convention of its kind. This program will be a focal point
for the North American elevator industry next year, and the
global elevator community will be invited to participate.
The consolidation of these four annual conventions will enhance
each association's ability to serve their sector of the elevator
industry. The membership of each organization will benefit
from an exceptional trade show and the unsurpassed educational
programs that will be the foundation of this event. During
the last three years, the leadership of these organizations
has agreed to a combined agenda that utilizes the strengths
of each group. This 2005 event will be a service to all members
of these associations, and the entire industry.
The 2005 program will consolidate all standard activities
of the four organizations into one convention. To meet their
specific constitutional requirements, each organization will
conduct separate business meetings. All educational, exposition,
social, and networking activities will be consolidated. A
Joint Leadership Team representing all four organizations
contributed equally to this united effort. "This is a
pivotal moment in the history of these organizations. If the
word "elevator" is in your job description, participation
in this event is a must." Ed DeFilippis, President of
NAEC, stated. Vlad Zachata, Chairman of the Joint Leadership
Committee and a past president of CECA, said, "By forging
complementary relationships and reducing overlapping activities
of the associations that serve the elevator industry, these
four organizations' combined convention can achieve an exponential
increase in value to their members."
Some of the benefits of the consolidated event will be:
- Combination of market strength, ideas, and innovation
- A networking opportunity for all factions of the North
American elevator industry
- Exposure to new products from over 175 exhibiting companies
- Educational topics addressing every aspect of the industry
Hosting Organizations
- Canadian Elevator Contractors Association - CECA has served
the Canadian elevator market for over 30 years. Their member
services include, but are not limited to: labor relations,
equitable rate structure from the Worker's Compensation
Board, positive relations with elevator inspection authorities
and licensing of elevator mechanics, as well as representation
in government matters and discussions for the voice of the
elevator companies.
- National Association Elevator Contractors - NAEC has proudly
served the elevator industry for 55 years. NAEC is an association
of elevator contractors, and suppliers of products and services,
and other industry professionals. The Association serves
the interests of the industry by promoting safety in the
elevator industry advocating excellence in the management
of member companies. Membership services include educational
seminars, conventions/expositions, and industry communications.
CET™ (Certified Elevator Technician) and CAT™
(Certified Accessibility and Private Residence Lift Technician)
certification programs are sponsored and administered by
the NAEC.
- NAESA International - The Mission of NAESA International
is to teach, educate, promote, and certify inspectors and
assist others involved in elevator safety and new technology.
We are dedicated to promote, foster and assist in the promulgation
of a standard safety code and the interpretation of same,
for elevators and related equipment, and to engage in activities
and establish programs to exchange and impart information
of common interest to the membership and to develop the
professional reputation of the elevator safety authorities.
- National Association Vertical Transportation Professionals
- NAVTP's purpose is to bring together qualified professionals
so as to improve the general function of the industry in
all its phases, and to create a forum for professionals
in the vertical transportation industry to exchange ideas,
reports, innovations and regulations, all of which are designed
to improve the vertical transportation industry.
Agenda highlights
Registered delegates will be welcomed at the Presidents'
Reception on September 26. The 27th will begin with a joint
Opening Breakfast, and feature the Elevator Escalator Safety
Foundation's fundraising event that evening. Educational programs
will be scheduled on the 27th as well as during the exhibit
days, which are September 28 and 29. A 'United in Toronto
2005' website is currently under construction. Convention
details will be posted when the site development is completed.
Bob Beyer, NAVTP's past president, summed it up by his statement,
"This is a great opportunity to join forces and host
a convention/exposition that will be far greater than the
sum of its parts." Ray Troiano, President of NAESA International
noted, "It is an honor to serve on the Joint Leadership
Team and contribute to the development of this groundbreaking
event."
For information about attending or exhibiting at United in
Toronto 2005, please contact the National Association of Elevator
Contractors at 770-760-9660, email info@naec.org or visit
www.naec.org.
On June 25, the Board cleared its last hurdle before moving
to publish updated accessibility guidelines for facilities
covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The
Office of Management and Budget, the Federal government's
regulatory clearinghouse, approved the new guidelines after
a 120-day review. The Board is now preparing the document
for publication, which it plans to release on July 26, the
14th anniversary of the signing of the ADA into law.
The new document overhauls and updates the ADA Accessibility
Guidelines and includes a number of revisions both large and
small. It marks the first full-scale update of the guidelines,
which were originally published in 1991 on the first anniversary
of the ADA. The published rule also will include updated guidelines
for Federal facilities, which are covered not by the ADA but
by an earlier law, the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA). Both
the ADA guidelines and the ABA guidelines, which the Board
updated jointly to make them more consistent, address access
in new construction and alterations and contain scoping provisions,
which indicate what has to comply, and technical specifications,
which spell out how compliance is to be achieved.
The published guidelines will not be mandatory on the public.
Instead, they will serve as the baseline for enforceable standards
(which are mandatory) maintained by other agencies. These
other agencies, such as the Department of Justice under the
ADA, must update their standards according to the Board's
guidelines. In doing so, they will indicate when the new requirements
must be followed. The existing standards are to be used until
the effective date specified for the new standards.
The Board will post the guidelines on its website once they
are published and will provide print copies free upon request.
Technical assistance on the guidelines will be available through
the Board's toll-free line, and the Board will offer training
on them at various events across the country in cooperation
with other organizations.
The traditional design of courthouses, particularly courtrooms,
poses unique challenges to access for persons with disabilities.
Most courtrooms feature a variety of elevated spaces, including
witness stands, jury boxes, and judges' benches, within areas
limited by the well of the court and spectator seating. Determining
the best way to provide access to these spaces can be difficult.
The Board is undertaking an effort to develop information
on courtroom design that addresses these and other aspects
of accessibility as part of an outreach initiative that will
highlight and promote access to courthouses. While the Board
has established guidelines for courthouses under the Americans
with Disabilities Act and the Architectural Barriers Act which
cover access to courtrooms, many have sought guidance on how
compliance can best be achieved. Additional information will
be helpful that explores new or innovative design solutions.
At its May meeting, the Board approved a plan to establish
an advisory committee to gather and develop this information.
Advisory committees allow for a cross-section of different
interests and stakeholders to advise the Board on particular
issues. They have played an instrumental role in the Board's
development of guidelines and standards. However, this committee
will not be tasked with making recommendations for new guidelines.
Instead, its mission will be to advise the Board on issues
related to the accessibility of courthouses, particularly
courtrooms, including best practices, design solutions, promotion
of accessible features, educational opportunities, and the
gathering of information on existing barriers, practices,
recommendations, and guidelines.
Through a notice published in the Federal Register on June
25th, the Board requests applications for representatives
to serve on the committee. The Board seeks to include members
representing designers and architects, disability groups,
members of the judiciary, including judges and court administrators
and organizations representing them, the codes community and
standard-setting entities, government agencies, and others
with an interest in the issues to be explored. The committee
will be structured to represent a balanced cross-section of
different interests.
For further information, contact Elizabeth Stewart of the
Board at (202) 272-0042 (v), (202) 272-0082 (TTY), or stewart@access-board.gov
Thanks to Industry Advocate Dave Balmer, aema.com now hosts
up-to-date provincial code information exclusively for AEMA
members. Housed under the Member Extranet section of the web
site, members can access the following information for each
province or territory:
Requirements for licensing of mechanics and contractors;
adopted standards and editions for residential and commercial
applications; name of Chief Inspector, Director or other contact
for the Elevating Devices Department; address, phone, fax
and email info for the Elevating Devices Department; web site
address for online access to actual laws, adopted regulations
and Act; types of elevating devices permitted and applicable
standards; indication of required inspection for Private Homes
and applicable rules; notations regarding special local rules
and regulations outside the National Standards adopted, or
other special requirements. To obtain your aema.com member
extranet password, email: webmaster@aema.com.
Visit the aema.com Member Extranet
to view the Provincial Code details.
To become a member of AEMA, visit the Membership
section of our web site, or email Dave Balmer at dbalmer@aema.com
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