Email to USDOT

From: William Smith [mailto:wsmith295@
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 2:46 PM
To: 'joseph.austin@ost.dot.gov'
Subject: FW: ADA in Montgomery County Md.
I am a blind man in Silver Spring, Maryland. I have been working of right-of-way accessibility issues on Montgomery County ROW foe several years. After many years of trying, I now think it is impossible to work with the County DOT to improve their approach to ROW management. In addition, other County department embrace discriminatory practices in their management of ROW issues. These practices negatively affest thousands of disabled Montgomery County residents everyday.

A few weeks ago I was advised by someone who should know that Montgomery County DOT should have a self-evaluation plan for pedestrian infrastructure, and should have hired an ADA compliance officer some time ago. DOT has not done either of thiese things, and is refusing requests to develop a self-evaluation plan. I was told that no real self-evaluation and no person overseeing ADA compliance meant that DOT was vulnerable to an ADA complaint. I would like to pursue such a complaint. Can you advise me?

Sincerely,
William Smith
Silver Spring MD 20910


From: Anderson, Melissa [mailto:anderson@Access-Board.gov] On Behalf Of Row
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2012 6:06 PM
To: William Smith
Subject: RE: ADA in Montgomery County Md.

Dear Mr. Smith,

This is a question for the Department of Justice. The Access Board develops the guidelines and the DOJ adopts them as Standards and interprets the law.

Sorry I can’t give you a more direct answer.
Melissa

Melissa A. Anderson, PE
Transportation Engineer
US Access Board
1331 F Street NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20004
(202) 272-0045

(the email below was forwarded with the email above, and has been edited - is not in its entirety.)

From: William Smith [mailto:wsmith295@
Sent: Saturday, January 07, 2012 12:46 AM
To: Row
Subject: RE: ADA in Montgomery County Md.

About a month ago I sat down for a lengthy discussion with BR, ADA Coordinator forr XXX. He told me that every transportation entity needed three things ; a self-evaluation method, a transition plan, and an ADA Compliance person. He indicated that failure to do any of these three things was outright violation on ADA. Is this true?