![]() The partnership between SHA and the city began with a design contract in May 2007, though it was not until July 2010 that SHA was officially awarded the design. The library opened on September 19, 2019, and within a few months, was the subject of investigations by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) over the library’s possible violations of Title II of the ADA, the New York City Commission on Human Rights, and a lawsuit from the nonprofit Disability Rights Advocates. ![]() In response to criticism, the library moved books from the inaccessible stacks to fully accessible ones, and the three levels remained empty save for its current periodicals selection. While the library sought compliance with the ADA by offering to have librarians retrieve books from the stacks for patrons, the inequity in this was widely called-out by other architects and visitors alike. Three of the five levels, however, are only accessible via the staircase and do not have elevator access. The library’s central staircase connects to five floors of stacks, and allows visitors to take in views of the Manhattan skyline. ![]() Criticism of the $40 million project revolved around SHA’s lack of compliance with basic standards of accessibility, which the firm defended. The branch of the Queens Public Library, which opened in Queens’s Long Island City neighborhood in 2019, received immediate backlash over its inaccessible portions.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |