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Charlottesville/Albemarle Health Department

Results from VisitAble's Accessibility Test

Section

Parking

Description of Section

This includes the number of accessible parking spaces, the labeling of the accessible parking spaces, and the accessibility of the accessible parking spaces.

Details

  • There are 8 accessible parking spaces near this establishment

  • There are 2 standard accessible spaces right in front of Door 1, which leads to the clinic, and the nearest van accessible space is at Door 3, which is about 200 feet away

  • There are 2 van accessible spaces right in front of Door 3, which leads to the Environmental Health and Vital Records Office

  • There are 2 van accessible spaces and 2 standard accessible spaces right in front of Door 4, which leads to the Free Charlottesville Dental Clinic

  • The parking lot is made of smooth pavement, there are color-contrasted painted lines on the parking lot surface, and there are 3 wheel stops total located on 3 of the 4 accessible spaces in front of Door 4

  • There is signage and the universal symbol of accessibility on the parking lot surface to mark each of these spaces as accessible

  • The 2 spaces at Door 3 and the space at Door 4 that shares an access aisle with the marked van accessible space are not labeled as van accessible but meet the appropriate measurements to be van accessible

Section

Pathway to Entrance and Entrance

Description of Section

This includes the accessibility of the pathway from the accessible parking spaces to the entrance (including curb ramps, ground/floor surfaces, etc.) and the accessibility of the entrance itself (widths of doors, lips under doors, etc.).

Details

  • All pathways to all of the entrances have a surface of smooth pavement and then a smooth concrete sidewalk

  • All curb ramps are made of smooth concrete, are not too steep, and do not have truncated domes on them

  • Door 2 is not clearly labeled and has a flight of stairs up to it with no ramp/0-step alternative, but this door was only a staff entrance at the time of our assessment and there was a sign next to it that directs individuals to an accessible entrance

  • The curbs next to Doors 2 and 3 are color contrasted, but not next to Doors 1 and 4

  • There are stairs and an accessible entrance ramp for Door 1, where the ramp is not too steep and both the stairs and ramp have handrails on both sides

  • When parking at the closest van accessible parking spaces to Door 1, which are located at Door 3, the sidewalk is steep to get to Door 1, about a 15% slope maximum

  • Door 1 has a directory outside of it, Door 3 has a visual map nearby to show the locations of doors, and both Doors 1 and 3 have big numbers outside to identify them - this signage is color-contrasted but does not have braille or tactile alternatives

  • Door 4 does not have identifying signage outside that matches Doors 1 and 3, but there is a small “4” on the top right corner of a “Dental Clinic” sign - this sign is a little less color-contrasted than signage outside of Doors 1 and 3; there is also color-contrasted paper signage on Door 4 that directs individuals to Door 1 for Covid Vaccinations; neither of these have braille or tactile alternatives

  • All entrance doors are 32-33” wide, have thresholds that are not difficult to navigate over, have accessible door handles, are not terribly difficult to open force-wise, have appropriate maneuvering clearances on both sides, and are all glass doors with trim on them

  • Entrance 1 is the only entrance with automatic door openers

  • On the inside, there is navigational signage (white signs with red letters on the ceiling) to point out the exits, but there is no identifying signage, braille, or tactile characters for the exits

  • There is an accessible bench outside Door 3

Section

Interior Pathways

Description of Section

This includes accessibility of different items in the location, pathways in the location, signage, cleanliness of pathways, how steep pathways are, presence of inaccessible areas, accessibility of doors not covered by other sections, accessibility of any complimentary water/refreshments/snacks, and the presence and accessibility of any seating.

Details

  • The surface inside of the location is all either smooth tile or compacted industrial carpet, but there are mats immediately inside and outside of the entrances

  • In the clinic as you enter Door 1, there is the registration area which is also used for some events related to Covid vaccinations - this registration area has spacious pathways although it does get busy during Covid vaccination events, has chairs with seating surfaces at accessible heights, has an information desk at 42-42.5” where clients pay (staff members take and swipe credit cards for clients), has registration counters at accessible heights, and another counter for “WIC” at an accessible height

  • Beyond the registration area is a door that leads to the different patient rooms in the clinic, this door and all patient doors are wide enough, are opened and closed by staff, and all of the patient rooms have identifying signage next to their doors with braille and tactile characters

  • Most patient rooms in the clinic are spacious, but there are some that have pathways less than 36” wide around the patient tables/seating

  • Clinic Room 10 is the only patient room with an adjustable patient table height which goes to an accessible height, all other patient tables have surfaces at about 32-24” above the floor

  • In one of the hallways in the clinic patient room area, there is an AED Defibrillator, a hand sanitizer dispenser, and an adjustable-height measuring shelf that are all attached to the wall and could be considered protruding objects

  • There are fingers snacks and water/juice that can be brought to clients in the clinic area

  • It is possible to get to the dental clinic from the clinic - there is a staircase right after entering Door 1 and navigational signage (without braille and tactile characters) that says the Dental Clinic is down the stairs; there is also an elevator if you continue straight within the clinic area it will be on your right near the door that brings you to the patient room area, however there is no navigational signage to guide clients to this elevator

  • The staircase near Door 1 to the clinic has 3 landings and there are handrails on both sides at about 33-37” above the stair surfaces, but there are not handrails on both sides on the bottom 2 landings and no handrails on the bottom 4 steps

  • The elevator has identifying signage nearby on both levels that says “Elevator”, but braille and tactile lettering is only on this signage on the 1st floor (where the Dental Clinic is located), and there is signage on the elevator “jambs” (sides of the elevator before the door) that indicate the floor which has braille and tactile characters; all of the buttons besides the “Call Cancel” button have braille and tactile characters and are at accessible heights

  • The elevator door is 36” wide when completely open and stays open about 5 seconds before closing, the elevator car is about 68” wide by 55” deep, there is a handrail on the back wall on the elevator that is about 32” above the elevator floor, and has both visual and audible indicators to show the floor, when the elevator arrives on a floor, and which direction the elevator is going

  • When entering Door 4 to get to the Dental Clinic, there is a ramp just beyond the door inside that has an accessible slope, and has handrails on both sides that are about 35.5” above the floor

  • The waiting area for the dental clinic and the dental patient rooms have chairs at accessible heights, and the waiting room is spacious, but the dental patient rooms are tight to get around due to the placement of dental chairs

  • There is a water cooler in the dental clinic’s waiting room that is accessible, but the cups on top may be considered difficult to reach as well as the donation box in the dentist area

  • The dental waiting room has identifying signage next to it with braille and tactile lettering, but other signage in the dental area do not have braille and some have tactile characters; also all doors and doorways in the dental clinic space are at least 32” wide except 3 doorways to the patient rooms which are all less than 32” wide

  • It’s possible there may be a tube that runs across some of the dental patient room floors, and there is an emergency defibrillator on the wall directly across from the ramp from Entrance 4 that protrudes more than 4” off of the wall

  • In order to get to the x-ray room in the dentist area, there is a slightly steep pathway which has a slope less than 8.33% but has no handrails on either side

  • The environmental health records area has chairs with seating surfaces at 19.5-20” above the floor, a counter at an accessible height where staff members take and swipe cards for any purchases, and there are seats underneath every counter space

  • In one of the hallways in the environmental health records area, there is an AED Defibrillator and a bleeding control station that are attached to the wall and could be considered protruding objects

  • Some magazines, the fire pull, and the door for the bleeding control station could be considered unreachable in the environmental health records area

  • There is one water fountain in the environmental health records area near the bathrooms with a spout at 38-39” above the floor, accessible space underneath and pathway to approach it, and an accessible control at a good height right on the spout

  • There are some picnic tables and benches near Door 4 that require stepping up on a curb, traveling through grass, and taking a 1-2” step up on a concrete pad

  • There are benches near Door 1 that have seating surfaces at an accessible height above the ground

  • There is a dropbox slot outside of Environmental Health records which may be considered unreachable - about 61-63” above the ground

  • There are meeting spaces, patient rooms, and outside areas near all public spaces that are usually more quiet and less crowded that can be used upon request

  • There are not high ceilings in this location, the acoustics are not bad, and the sound level is usually low unless there is an event or clinic such as a Covid vaccination clinic

  • There are windows with shades in all of the areas - staff members are happy to help close and open them upon request

  • There are bags with handles available in this location, but only upon request

  • There are trash cans that require using foot pedals in the clinic rooms

  • There are not digital and/or braille alternatives for all print content

  • Except for certain Covid events, there is not a way to check-in or pay through a website/mobile application

  • Interpreters can be provided for clients upon request

Section

Bathrooms

Description of Section

This includes bathrooms being labeled as accessible, the width of bathroom and accessible stall doors, location of doors, height of door openers off the floor, weight of doors, presence of appropriate grab bars, the ability for a customer using a wheelchair to completely turn around in the bathroom/accessible stall, the height of the flush controls off the floor, the reachability of the sink/toilet paper/soap/drying equipment/lights, and the height of mirrors off the floor.

Details

  • In the clinic around the registration area there are two single-use bathrooms and in the patient room area there is one single-use bathroom, that are all labeled as accessible with signs that have color contrast, braille, and tactile characters

  • The bathroom doors for the 3 clinic bathrooms are not difficult to open force-wise, have appropriate maneuvering clearances (besides lightweight trash cans potentially being in the way), do not require pinching, twisting, or grasping to open or lock, do not have a lips underneath them, have handles at accessible heights, and have openings that are 32-33” wide

  • The clinic bathrooms’ sinks’ controls, counters, and spaces underneath the sink counters are accessible (include pipes being insulated underneath the sink)

  • The 2 bathrooms around the clinic registration area are incredibly spacious, and while the bathroom in the clinic patient room area is not as spacious, it may still be spacious enough to accommodate a client using a wheelchair

  • The light switches in the clinic bathrooms are right at 48” above the floor, the soap dispensers are at accessible heights, paper towels are at an accessible height in the registration area bathrooms but just above 48” in the patient room area, toilet paper dispensers are about 12-18” past the toilets, all existing hooks and the marker in the patient room area bathroom could be considered difficult to reach, and there are no full length mirrors and the mirrors above the sinks have bottoms that are slightly above 40”

  • One of the clinic registration area bathrooms has a urinal in it at an accessible height, and all of the 3 clinic bathrooms have floor-mounted toilets in the corners of the bathrooms that have toilet seats at accessible heights

  • The 2 bathrooms around the clinic registration area have 3 grab bars where the 2 horizontal ones are the appropriate length but are 38-39” above the flooring and the rear wall grab bars have toilet lid cover dispensers 3.5-5” above them, while the bathroom in the clinic patient room area has 2 horizontal grab bars that are at 34” above the floor but the rear wall grab bar is only 24” long and has an old soap dispenser 8” above it

  • Right next to the dental clinic, there is one single-use bathroom that is labeled as accessible with signage that has color contrast, braille, and tactile characters

  • The dental clinic bathroom door is not difficult to open force-wise, has appropriate maneuvering clearances (besides a lightweight trash can potentially being in the way on the inside), does not require pinching, twisting, or grasping to open or lock, does not have a lip underneath it, has a handle at an accessible height, and has a clear width of about 32.5” when completely opened

  • The dental clinic bathroom’s sink has the top front of it’s counter at 35.5” above the floor, but the controls and space underneath the sink counter are accessible (include pipes being insulated underneath the sink)

  • The bathroom in the dental clinic is spacious enough to accommodate a client using a wheelchair doing a 360-degree turn

  • The light switch in the dental clinic bathroom is about at 49” above the floor, the soap dispenser is just over 48” above the floor, paper towels are on top of a shelf at 48.5” above the floor and may be considered difficult to reach, the toilet paper dispenser is at an accessible distance past the toilet, the hook and shelf in this bathroom are over 48” and could be considered difficult to reach, and there are no full length mirrors and the bottom of the mirror above the sink is slightly above 40”

  • The dental clinic bathroom has a floor-mounted toilet in the corner of the bathroom that has a toilet seat at an accessible height and 2 grab bars around it - that are the appropriate length and position but it is possible the toilet seat cover dispenser may be less than 12” above the rear wall grab bar

  • In the environmental health records area, there are two multi-use bathrooms which are not labeled as accessible, one of them is labeled Men’s bathroom and the other Women’s bathroom - the signs have high color contrast, but no braille or raised tactile characters

  • The environmental health records bathroom doors are difficult to open force-wise while the stall doors are not, the Men’s bathroom door and stall door have appropriate maneuvering clearances while the Women’s bathroom door and stall doors do not, the stall doors in these two bathrooms are not self-closing, the bathroom doors have doorknobs at accessible heights on them but clients only need to push the door open rather than twist the knob, the stall doors have an accessible lock on the inside and door pull on the outside but there are no door pulls on the insides of the stall doors, there are no lips/thresholds underneath the bathroom or stall doors, the bathroom doors have a clear width of about 32-33” when completely open and the stall doors have a clear width of about 30-31” or less when completely open

  • The environmental health records bathrooms’ sink controls, counters, and spaces underneath the sink counters are accessible, except the pipes are not insulated underneath the sinks and it’s possible a trash can is in the way when approaching the sinks

  • There is space in the environmental health records bathrooms for clients using wheelchairs to maneuver and make a 360-degree turn, but not in any of the stalls - both bathrooms have at least one “ambulatory accessible stall”, but do not have wheelchair accessible stalls

  • The “ambulatory accessible stalls” in the environmental health records bathrooms are about 36” wide and approximately 96” deep in the Men’s bathroom and 60” deep in the Women’s bathroom, and there are grab bars on both sides of these stalls that are about 52” long and 34” above the floor

  • In the environmental health records bathrooms, the soap and paper towels are at accessible heights, but the bathroom mirrors (angled down) and manual light switches are not

  • The urinal in the environmental health records bathroom labeled “Men” is 21.5” deep measured from the front rim to the wall it is attached to and the front rim is 20” above the floor

Section

Amenities

Description of Section

This includes the presence of accessibility features to make this establishment go above and beyond the accessibility of other establishments of the same type.

Details

  • There is an adjustable-height patient table in one of the patient rooms in the clinic

  • There are 2 wheelchairs available for clients in this building

  • There are syringe disposal units in the patient rooms of the clinic, but not in the bathrooms

  • There are plastic/paper cups available at the water cooler in the dental clinic waiting room area

  • Canned water, juice, and finger snacks are available in the clinic area upon request, staff members will bring them to you

  • Employees are going through or have gone through a disability etiquette training to differentiate their customer service

  • There are some maps around this building to help clients navigate, but there are no digital resources or text descriptions to accompany the maps

  • There is a way to give feedback via paper survey and then putting the paper in a box that is 60-61” above the floor in the clinic, and during the time of our visit we were told that a QR code to a digital feedback survey will be available soon

  • There are dry erase boards for alternative communication that are available upon request, and there is a system for staff members to get interpreters upon request

  • There are coloring books and crayons available upon request at the information desk at the clinic, and there may be squeeze balls available upon request

  • There are outlets available at accessible heights in the location, and some of them have coverings on them

Want to Learn More About Our Accessibility Tests?

Send an email to visitable.certification@gmail.com with subject line: "VisitAble's Accessibility Test" and tell us what specifically you would like to know and the reason why. We're happy to provide as much information as is needed to allow you to have the confidence in knowing if an establishment is accessible to you or not!

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