To further the City of Biddeford’s commitment to provide programs, services and activities in a nondiscriminatory manner for individuals with disabilities, the City of Biddeford (City) decided to conduct an updated Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504  Self-evaluation of programs, services, activities, parks and facilities. The updated ADA/504 Self-evaluation provides a current benchmark for accessibility efforts by the City and provides an updated framework for implementation. The goal of the City is that all potential physical and programmatic barriers for accessibility for persons with disabilities are identified and removed.

The ADA/504 Self-evaluation and Transition Plan of policies, procedures, activities, events, and facilities was conducted in 2021 under the direction of Gail Wilkerson, Director of Housing Rehabilitation for the City of Biddeford. James Bennett is the designated ADA Coordinator for the City. 

Disability Access Consultants, LLC (DAC) was contracted to conduct a comprehensive survey of all City programs, services, activities, policies, buildings, parks, parking lots and public rights-of-way. The scope of work included 30 facilities and parks, 80 linear miles of sidewalk, 545 curb ramps, 17 signalized intersections and 48 bus stops. 

The current ADA/504 Self-evaluation and Transition Plan incorporates recent updates in the ADA, Maine Building Code and other related standards and regulations. The review included accessibility requirements for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II, the ADA 2010 code updates, the Maine Building Code, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, and the Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG).