The Outpost Grill is considering installing actuators, or automatic doors that are suitable for handicapped people.
The 49er Shops have funds available this year.
“The actuators are part of the plan, it depends on the funding this year,” contractor administrator of the 49er Shops Clint Campbell said. “There is no specific date on when the actuators will be up, but it is on the 49er Shops to-do list.”
The Outpost has been open for more than a year and there are still no actuators next to the disabled signs.
“The actuators were part of the original plans for the Outpost, but the funds ran short,” director of Disabled Student Services David Sanfilippo said. “The construction had cost overruns, so they had to look at places where they can cut and still be within the law.”
The 49er Shops owns the Outpost and are a non-profit and self-funded organization, according to the 49er Shops official website.
“We did the best we could with what we had,” director of communications of the 49er Shops Rosa Hernandez-Henderson said. “No funds meant that we had to cut more than we had planned and the actuators fell victim to that.”
The disabled signs at the Outpost restaurant indicate the doors are accessible to disabled people and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“The weight of the doors are accessible for disabled people,” Sanfilippo said. “It may not be an easy access, but it is accessible according to ADA standards. The disabled signs mean the doors meet the ADA standards. It doesn’t necessarily mean automatic doors.”
The Disabled Student Services base their priorities on the safety of students before anything else.
“We rely on students and other people to tell us about ramp issues or anything that can become a safety hazard for disabled people or anyone for that matter,” Sanfilippo said. “The Outpost actuators are an important issue, but it hasn’t been a safety hazard to anyone, as far as we know.”
The 49er Shops specifically target locations on campus that have the highest traffic of students.
“This fall semester we based our priority toward the bookstore,” Hernandez-Henderson said. “Two new actuators were installed in the bookstore and the second phase should be done by spring semester of next year.”
Safety hazards require immediate attention, according to Hernandez-Henderson. “Unfortunately, actuators at the Outpost get set aside when a safety hazard is brought to our attention,” Hernandez-Henderson said. “The important thing is this time around, we can finally give a little more attention to the Outpost and the actuators.”
There have been no complaints this year about the doors at the Outpost, according to Sanfilippo.
Disclaimer: The Daily 49er is not responsible for Postings made on www.daily49er.wpengine.com. Persons commenting are solely responsible for Postings made on this website. Persons commenting agree to the Terms of Use of the website. If Postings do not abide by the Rules of Conduct or Posting Regulations as listed in the Postings Policy, the Daily 49er has all rights to delete Postings as it deems necessary. The Daily 49er strongly advises individuals to not abuse their First Amendment rights, and to avoid language suggestive of hate speech. This site also encourages users to make Postings relevant to the article or other Postings.