St. John’s University, NY
ADA Accessibility Audit
✔️ 8 Million SF ✔️ 100% Client Satisfaction
St. John’s University is a private Catholic university in New York City. The school was founded in 1870 by the Congregation of the Mission with the hopes of providing a growing immigrant population with quality higher education. In January 2019, FOS of CannonDesign provided an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) audit for St. John’s University on a majority of the facilities in their current portfolio. The intent of this audit was to identify the level of accessibility and potential deficiencies at each facility on the campus and to develop a ranking of priorities and associated costs to inform future action by the university. This FCA produced data that could be used to manage long-term infrastructure, prioritize and budget for improvements, and make the campus an inclusive place that’s accessible for everyone.
The assessment was conducted in a priority-based approach for site elements and building components, guided by the Department of Justice ADA regulations. Taking into account the age of each building, we made recommendations for bringing these facilities into compliance considering regulations for barrier removal, alterations and additions, new construction, and dormitories and apartments. Utilizing the 55-point ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities, we were able to align our recommendations with the DOJ guidelines that are used when evaluating an asset following a complaint.
One of our biggest challenges in this project was the topography. Due to the mountainous landscape of the campus, many buildings had ‘primary’ access points at multiple levels. If one level was not accessible a student or visitor would often have to travel a great distance to circumnavigate the facility and obtain accessible admittance. The site review for this project took a central role in the total understanding of mobility throughout the campus and is a central tenant of the transition plan.
We also utilized firsthand knowledge of stakeholders at the University who know the campus best. This included discussions with the University’s facilities and legal teams to collect information about known issues, allowing us to gain insight from those who are affected the most by campus accessibility issues.
Navigating the ADA rules and requirements can feel overwhelming and confusing. Our services helped the University assess their current compliance with the code requirements without operational disruptions. With experience assessing more than 600 million building square feet, our team brought the knowledge and expertise needed to ensure the University could solve their particular ADA challenges, providing a safe environment for all.