State audit sees room for accessibility improvements in Brookhaven
Brookhaven Town ADA compliance chief Lucia Elam and Town Supervisor Dan Panico outside Brookhaven Town Hall. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
A state comptroller's report found more than five dozen doors, ramps, parking spaces and bathroom fixtures at Brookhaven Town facilities that were poorly marked, too heavy, broken or out of reach for disabled visitors.
The total represented about 6% of more than 1,000 devices and amenities reviewed by auditors during an 18-month study that ended last June, according to the six-page report released March 13 by the office of Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
Problems were found at Brookhaven Town Hall in Farmingville, town-owned Brookhaven Calabro Airport in Shirley, the Rose Caracappa Senior Center in Mount Sinai, the town animal shelter in Brookhaven hamlet and the Parks and Recreation administration office in Centereach.
Town officials "should assess the feasibility of taking additional steps to increase physical accessibility for the 66 components identified in this report," the comptroller's office said.
In a response letter submitted to the comptroller's office and included in the report, Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico said the town is spending about $200,000 to bring town facilities into compliance with state and federal handicapped-accessibility rules.
Brookhaven is one of about 20 municipalities statewide, including three others on Long Island, where the comptroller's office reviewed disabled accessibility over the past several years, Rebecca F. Dangoor, a comptroller's office spokesperson, said. Dangoor said municipalities were selected randomly.
The office also released accessibility reports in recent weeks for Babylon Town, the Village of Floral Park and the City of Long Beach, Newsday previously reported.
Advocates for the disabled say some public facilities across Long Island contain hardships that government officials should be able to easily identify and correct.
Some bathroom towel dispensers at Brookhaven facilities are too high for wheelchair users to reach, said Marilyn Tucci, advocacy and outreach coordinator for Holtsville-based Suffolk Independent Living Organization. The towel dispensers are among the concerns cited in the comptroller's report.
“They [town officials] should automatically think someone might come in here [to use] a public bathroom,” Tucci, who is blind, said in a phone interview. She added she is surprised officials didn't fix the problem sooner.
“It shouldn’t have to be a mandate. It should be an automatic thing,” Tucci said.
In an interview, Panico said the town had completed about 60% of the fixes recommended by the state report, including lowering towel dispensers, bathroom sinks and mirrors.
Brookhaven also lowered an intercom in Panico's office that the audit said was more than 4 feet off the ground — too high for a person using a wheelchair, Panico said.
The audit also cited poorly marked disabled-accessible parking spaces at Town Hall, the airport and animal shelter, and it recommended adding parking stalls at each location for vans designed to carry people using wheelchairs. The audit also cited heavy doors at Town Hall and the parks administration office that require 5 pounds of force to open.
“We’re appreciative that this [audit] will help us serve people with needs even better,” Panico said. “We’re going to go through the list and we’re going to complete all the tasks.”
Tucci said the state audits in Brookhaven and the other municipalities play a critical role in pushing towns, cities and villages to make improvements. She said local governments are generally "very responsive" to accessibility issues.
She added she and a friend who drives her have trouble finding disabled-parking spots at Brookhaven Town Hall.
“When I have to go up there with someone, we have to park far away because there’s never enough handicapped parking,” Tucci said. “But I’m glad to hear the town say they’re going to do something about it."
A state comptroller's report found more than five dozen doors, ramps, parking spaces and bathroom fixtures at Brookhaven Town facilities that were poorly marked, too heavy, broken or out of reach for disabled visitors.
The total represented about 6% of more than 1,000 devices and amenities reviewed by auditors during an 18-month study that ended last June, according to the six-page report released March 13 by the office of Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
Problems were found at Brookhaven Town Hall in Farmingville, town-owned Brookhaven Calabro Airport in Shirley, the Rose Caracappa Senior Center in Mount Sinai, the town animal shelter in Brookhaven hamlet and the Parks and Recreation administration office in Centereach.
Town officials "should assess the feasibility of taking additional steps to increase physical accessibility for the 66 components identified in this report," the comptroller's office said.
In a response letter submitted to the comptroller's office and included in the report, Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico said the town is spending about $200,000 to bring town facilities into compliance with state and federal handicapped-accessibility rules.
Brookhaven is one of about 20 municipalities statewide, including three others on Long Island, where the comptroller's office reviewed disabled accessibility over the past several years, Rebecca F. Dangoor, a comptroller's office spokesperson, said. Dangoor said municipalities were selected randomly.
The office also released accessibility reports in recent weeks for Babylon Town, the Village of Floral Park and the City of Long Beach, Newsday previously reported.
Advocates for the disabled say some public facilities across Long Island contain hardships that government officials should be able to easily identify and correct.
Some bathroom towel dispensers at Brookhaven facilities are too high for wheelchair users to reach, said Marilyn Tucci, advocacy and outreach coordinator for Holtsville-based Suffolk Independent Living Organization. The towel dispensers are among the concerns cited in the comptroller's report.
“They [town officials] should automatically think someone might come in here [to use] a public bathroom,” Tucci, who is blind, said in a phone interview. She added she is surprised officials didn't fix the problem sooner.
“It shouldn’t have to be a mandate. It should be an automatic thing,” Tucci said.
In an interview, Panico said the town had completed about 60% of the fixes recommended by the state report, including lowering towel dispensers, bathroom sinks and mirrors.
Brookhaven also lowered an intercom in Panico's office that the audit said was more than 4 feet off the ground — too high for a person using a wheelchair, Panico said.
The audit also cited poorly marked disabled-accessible parking spaces at Town Hall, the airport and animal shelter, and it recommended adding parking stalls at each location for vans designed to carry people using wheelchairs. The audit also cited heavy doors at Town Hall and the parks administration office that require 5 pounds of force to open.
“We’re appreciative that this [audit] will help us serve people with needs even better,” Panico said. “We’re going to go through the list and we’re going to complete all the tasks.”
Tucci said the state audits in Brookhaven and the other municipalities play a critical role in pushing towns, cities and villages to make improvements. She said local governments are generally "very responsive" to accessibility issues.
She added she and a friend who drives her have trouble finding disabled-parking spots at Brookhaven Town Hall.
“When I have to go up there with someone, we have to park far away because there’s never enough handicapped parking,” Tucci said. “But I’m glad to hear the town say they’re going to do something about it."
Audit's recommendations
Recommendations cited by a state comptroller's office audit of handicapped accessibility at Brookhaven Town facilities.
- Town Hall (48 improvements): Add disabled-accessible parking space for vans, repair gaps in pavement, remove frayed carpet edges, reduce weight of interior office doors, lower sinks, mirrors and towel dispensers.
- Brookhaven Calabro Airport (11): Add van-accessible parking space, improve parking slot markings, add disabled-accessible route to main entrance, fix frayed carpet edging, lengthen side grab bars in restroom stalls.
- Senior center (4): Add signs identifying van-accessible parking spaces, improve ramps, lower restroom towel dispensers.
- Animal shelter (2): Add van-accessible parking space, secure edges on mats.
- Parks administration (1): Reduce weight of interior doors.
SOURCE: Office of State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.
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