Public Employee Press

You can influence policy
Disablity Committee asks members to help with federal study

The DC 37 Disability Advisory Committee urges members with disabilities to participate in a federal study about the impediments they face in evacuations from workplaces in high-rise buildings.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), part of the U.S. Commerce Dept., is studying the dangers people with disabilities faced in fire evacuations from such buildings.

"This is an opportunity for members to influence public policy," said Disability Advisory Committee Chair Eileen Muller, the president of Brooklyn Library Guild Local 1482. "I would encourage anyone concerned about this issue to participate in the study."

NIST is looking for individuals with mobility impairments to share their experiences during evacuations and to discuss any safety training they have received. One focus will be on the use of elevators during fire emergencies.

Interviews will last up to two hours and may take place at worksite locations that allow for private conversations. NIST will ask employers to agree to allow workers to participate in the study during the workday.

To be eligible, participants must be 18 years old and have a permanent mobility impairment or have experienced a temporary problem.

To participate in the study or for more information, call Kathryn Butler at NIST (301-975-6673) or e-mail Kathryn.butler@nist.gov.

Access at DC 37

The DC 37 Disability Advisory Committee suggests that members with disabilities use the entrance at 125 Barclay St. when they come to union headquarters. The Barclay Street entrance is more accessible than the one on Murray Street, where visitors must use stairs to enter the lobby.

The pickup spot for Access-A-Ride service is at the Barclay Street entrance.