The State Library of Ohio

65 South Front Street, Columbus, Ohio 43266-0334

614/462-7061

April 30, 1993

Mr. John Woodach, Director,

Office of Americans with Disabilities Act
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
P.O. Box 66738
Washington, DC 20035-9998

Dear Mr. Woodach:

This letter is being written to seek your guidance in the

area of bookmobile construction. For eight years the State
Library of Ohio has presented annual National Bookmobile
Conferences. As a result we receive questions on bookmobile
service from libraries throughout the country. Recently,
questions regarding whether a wheelchair lift needs to be added
to existing and/or new bookmobiles have surfaced. In this
context, it would be greatly appreciated if you would clarify the
requirements, if any, for a bookmobile wheelchair lift under the
regulations for the Americans with Disabilities Act.

By way of background, I was unable to attend the American

Library Association program in San Francisco during which you
spoke on this issue However, various attendees have indicated to
me that your comments seemed to indicate that you saw no
requirement to install a wheelchair lift In a library bookmobile.

Although public libraries have embraced ADA as part of their

commitment to service, my questions (see below) come from
administrators who have tried to make their facilities
accessible. Nonetheless, they have concerns about the utility of
a wheelchair lift on the bookmobile which, by its nature, is
extremely limited in usable space, particularly in busy hours.

Despite this limitation, many libraries (including this

State Library) have added a wheelchair lift to bookmobiles.
Regrettably, very little use of the wheelchair lift seems to have
been recorded.
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3. Would a chair lift be acceptable in place of a wheelchair

lift if accessibility is required.

4. If new standard-length bookmobiles requiring a wheelchair

lift, does this requirement also extend to smaller
bookmobiles?

5. Do bookmobiles now in service need to be retrofitted with a

wheelchair-lift?

I would appreciate your responses to these questions and

permission to quote you in answering bookmobile wheelchair
queries, At present, I know of at least five libraries in the
process of planning new bookmobiles. Nationally if past
experience is a guide, the questions in this letter are
undoubtedly being pondered by at least one hundred other American
libraries.

Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

John J. Philip
Supervisor of Field Operations

JJP:sb

Encls.

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