NYU Facilities staff have been vital stakeholders (and superstars!) within the DIA network. Early on in the working group’s activities a “catch all” email address was created and promoted across campus to encourage people to be vocal about their accessibility concerns (accessibility.inclusion@nyu.edu). As DIA co-Chair Karen Nercessian says, “because NYU Facilities are the first in and last to lock the doors on campus, they have become valuable ‘first responders’ to messages relayed through the email platform.”
NYU Facilities made their work with DIA a priority, implementing training initiatives, process improvements and made many important changes with respect to improving accessibility and inclusion in the NYU campus built environment, including:
- Tisch Hall: install an exterior button to operate the automatic door.
- Bathrooms across campus: Perform various improvements within restrooms across campus, including modification to thresholds, mirrors, flushometers, soap dispensers, toilet paper and paper towel dispensers, door hardware, and grab bars, etc.
- Casa Italiana: install new wheelchair lift.
- Barney Building: install new wheelchair lift.
- Third North Dorm: install a ramp within the interior courtyard.
- Lipton Hall Dorm: made various improvements on the ground floor.
- 19 West 4th: install automatic door opener at the front entrance.
- 239 Greene Street: install automatic doors on the 6th and 7th Floors.
- 1 Washington Place: install automatic doors at the exterior entrance, as well as interior ground floor doors.
- Woolworth Building: install braille directional signage.
- 20 Cooper Square: install additional automatic door opener into the building and on the 2nd floor.
- Install a ramp for stage accessibility to dais, 7th Floor Common Room.
- 665 Broadway: install automatic door openers on the 9th floor.
- 25 Waverly Place: build a ramp into the building and create a wheelchair accessible bathroom on the 1st floor.
Most of these projects have already been completed, the rest are scheduled to be completed by the end of FY2019.
Additionally, NYU Facilities have worked closely with many other NYU departments to successfully implement their projects, such as NYU IT and Campus Media.