Pennsylvania Launches Study to Improve Accessibility at State Capitol Complex

In July, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) published a final rule aimed at making federal government buildings more accessible for individuals with disabilities.

Pennsylvania is working to make the same kind of improvements to government buildings at the state level.

On Aug. 14, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced the launch of an accessibility study that seeks to improve access and mobility for people with disabilities throughout the Keystone State’s Capitol Complex.

According to a statement from Gov. Shapiro’s office, the study is being undertaken as part of a May 2024 executive order geared toward enhancing the competitiveness of the Commonwealth’s workforce. Expected to wrap up by spring 2024, the study will identify and suggest actions to improve access and mobility throughout the five core buildings of the complex, including the Pennsylvania State Capitol and the Legislative Office Building.

Pennsylvania’s Department of General Services (DGS) will lead the study, working with a number of agencies, commissions and other stakeholders in an effort to help provide a list of improvements “that meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, have a reasonable chance of receiving historic structural adaptation approvals, and can be prioritized according to stakeholder importance for future construction projects,” according to Gov. Shapiro’s office.

The study will focus on providing the public with reasonable accommodations to access and use the five core Capitol Complex buildings, and the groups conducting the study will evaluate improvements to public accessibility starting from site arrival points and continuing to primary functions, including but not limited to parking areas, streets and sidewalks at the exterior of buildings, for example.

According to Gov. Shapiro’s office, the recommendations that emerge from the study will build on “significant ADA-compliant updates DGS has already made or plans to make at the Capitol Complex” in the past 10 years. These modifications include the installation of single-use, fully accessible restrooms throughout the East Wing of the Capitol Building and construction of raised and accessible crosswalks throughout the complex, for instance.

“I believe there should be no wrong door for accessing state government, and that includes making our Capitol Complex a more accessible place for Pennsylvanians to visit and work in,” said Gov. Shapiro, in a statement.

“The Capitol Complex is a place where all Pennsylvanians should be able to visit and see their government in action, working to deliver results for them. This important study is the first step in making that a reality and will allow state government to create a more inclusive workplace, showing once again that we respect the diverse backgrounds of Pennsylvanians from all across the Commonwealth.”