Here's the official government response:
Dear Ms. Baird:
Currently, the ADA Standards issued by the U.S. Department of Justice and
based on the Access Board's accessibility guidelines do not contain provisions
for lighting. However, you pose an interesting problem that we should
consider the next time we revise our guidelines. If you have not commented to
the Department of Energy regarding the impact of their requirements on
individuals with photosensitive epilepsy and other related disabilities,
please consider contacting the Department. I am including a contact below to
assist you:
Ms. Melverlynn Hull
Disability Program Manager
Office of Civil Rights and Diversity (ED-4)
Department of Energy
Room 5b-168
1000 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20585
(202) 586-2248
melverlynn.hull@hq.doe.gov
Regards,
Marsha Mazz
Marsha K. Mazz
Technical Assistance Coordinator
U.S. Access Board
1331 F Street, NW
Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20004
(202) 272-0020 (Voice)
(202) 272-0082 (TTY)
mazz@access-board.gov
www.access-board.gov
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: uncmom59@aol.com [mailto:uncmom59@aol.com]
Sent: Friday, February 22, 2008 5:38 PM
To: ta
Subject: Facilities Barrier
Hello,
I am sending Congressman Coble's office information on lighting as a barrier
for persons with photosensitive disabiilites. This is in regards to the
Energy Act provision phasing out incandescents by the year 2012.
I have photosensitive epilepsy triggered by the flicker in these lights.
There are other disabilities such as migraines, ADHD, lupus, vestibular
disorders, autism spectrum disorder, myalgic encephalomyelitis, CFS, and MCS
that may be worsened by florescents. Can you give me the Access Board
regulations on accessibility regarding alternative lighting. Natural and
incandescent seem to be the only two at present that are not problematic.
Halogen and LED glare is problematic.
Can you address the problem for me as an access barrier to federal, state,
local government facilities as well as private, ie. shopping,doctors, church,
home?
Thank you.
Margaret Holt Baird
2 comments:
So, who is Ms Baird? It sounds like someone didn't think this through though. No surprise, I guess. It sounds good. It's saving the planet! Right? Right?
Margaret Holt Baird is an attorney who is also a CFS patient, and one of those who has trouble with fluorescent lights.
You're right, it's another of those save-the-planet things they didn't think through all the way. Like around here, every summer, the drought folks tell us to save water by not washing dishes and the landfill people tell us to don't use paper plates, use real dishes. (Guess I could have the cats wash the dishes for me, using no water at all...)
But with the manufacturers saying the new bulbs don't cause the problems the old ones did, and the general populace not being aware of this till it was codified, the government really had no input from those of us who are affected by fluorescents. Including the new ones that they say have none of the problems the old ones did.
In an AOL survey today, 49% of people (when I checked) said they didn't like the new CFLs. http://news.aol.com/story/_a/some-turned-off-by-spiral-light-bulbs/20080228091409990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001
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