Capitol Access BookletMissourians with disabilities, just like all Missouri citizens, are encouraged to actively participate in the legislative process. This might include visiting the capitol to present testimony at a legislative hearing, to attend a bill signing, or to talk with an elected official. This booklet is designed to provide information about accessibility in the state capitol so that Missourians with disabilities can fully participate in state government activities. Direction is provided for requesting access accommodations, such as interpreters or braille material, for legislative activities, functions in the Governor's office, capitol tours and for rotunda activities. Diagrams of the capitol are provided, indicating the location of accessible parking, restrooms and elevators to the House and Senate gallery areas. The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. Title II of the ADA covers all activities of state government, requiring state government programs, services, and activities be usable by and accessible to individuals with disabilities. The Missouri State Capitol, as part of state government, provides access through building access features and provision of auxiliary aids and services. Requesting a Communication Accommodation It is the responsibility of the consumer to request, with reasonable lead time, a specific accommodation based on the needs of the situation. It is the responsibility of the provider to either deliver the accommodation as requested or work with the consumer to identify a mutually satisfactory alternative that will provide effective access for the given situation. You should be specific in your request for an accommodation. Do not request an "assistive listening system" and assume it will have a neck loop that is compatible with your hearing aid, or request "large print" materials and assume they will be in 24 point rather than the typical 18 point font. Be specific enough in your request to assure that the provider will deliver the right accommodation. Follow-up with the provider if you have any question about whether or not the alternative you requested will be delivered. The legal requirement for state government is to provide effective communication access. They are required to consider consumer preferences but may offer other alternatives that provide effective communication. If the alternative they offer will not provide effective communication for you, be prepared to explain the difference between their offer and the accommodation you requested and why their option will not provide effective communication for you in this situation. Types of Communication Access Communication access includes converting print materials to alternative formats such as braille, large print, and audio cassette, as well as providing alternative access to auditory information through assistive listening devices, sign language interpreting and real-time captioning. Alternative communication provides user friendly access to information and increases the ease in which that information can be used. The following is a brief description of each type of communication access: Assistive Listening Devices Assistive Listening Devices (commonly referred to as ALD's) are mostly used by hard of hearing individuals with mild to severe hearing losses. The main function of an assistive listening device is to increase the loudness of specific sounds (in most cases the speaker) and reduce background noise, thus allowing the person with a hearing loss to better understand and hear speech. Assistive listening devices can be used with or without hearing aids. Audio Cassette Recordings Audio cassette recordings may be used as an alternative communication for individuals who are blind or have some degree of vision loss, individuals with dyslexia or learning disabilities in the area of reading decoding or comprehension, and/or other individuals with disabilities whose reading skills preclude efficient access to traditional print information. Braille Braille is a system of touch reading/writing (used by people who are blind), which utilizes raised dots to represent letters of the print alphabet. The braille system also includes symbols to represent punctuation, mathematical and scientific characters, music, computer notation, and foreign languages- Braille Revival League. There are two grades of braille. Grade one is a literal translation of every letter into a braille cell. Grade two is a "shorthand" conversation of braille with contractions and other compression techniques used to make reading braille more efficient. In general, materials should be produced in grade two braille unless otherwise specified. Captioning (Real Time) Real Time captioning (often referred to as CART or Computer Aided Real Time) is a verbatim text of what is being said displayed on a computer screen, TV monitor or large screen. Real time captioning enables communication access for individuals with hearing loss who are fluent in written English. Individuals utilizing real time captioning may not be fluent in sign language or may not choose to use sign language for communication access in a particular situation. In general, real time captioning is used by individuals who are late-deafened, oral deaf or hard of hearing. Sign Language Interpretation Sign language interpretation includes two-way communication between spoken English and 1) Another language, such as American Sign Language; 2) an English-based sign system, such as Pidgin Signed English, Signed English, and tactile sign; or 3) A visual representation of speech, such as oral interpreting and Cued Speech. All interpreters must be certified by the Missouri Board for Certification of Interpreters. Large PrintLarge print is print produced in 18 point or larger and is most frequently used by people with vision loss. It also increases reading comfort levels for many other people. While 18 point is considered to be large print, some individuals may need a larger point size for effective access. It is helpful to work with users to clearly define what font size will provide effective access. If the volume of material is large, a combination of large print and other format, such as audio cassette, might be more convenient for the consumer. To request alternative format in large print, braille or audio tape of the Capitol Access Guide, contact Missouri Assistive Technology at 1-800-647-8557 (voice) or 1-800-647-8558 (TTY). How to Request a Communication Accommodation for Activities at the State CapitolListed below are the contact persons and procedures that should be followed when requesting an accommodation for activities within the state capitol.
The State Capitol and the Missouri State Museum are open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. daily except New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Tours, provided by the Department of Natural Resources, Division of State Parks, are free of charge and are available on the hour from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Reservations for group tours may be made on either the hour of the half hour by calling 573/751-4127. |
