Woodbury’s accessibility could be improved, says NYS comptroller

A recent audit conducted by the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) found that the Town of Woodbury has some room for improvement regarding the physical accessibility of certain town facilities. The audit report said, “Of the 595 applicable physical accessibility components we reviewed, we identified 131 components (22%) where Town officials could consider taking additional steps to increase physical accessibility.”

Specifically, the audit found that the Senior Center and Woodbury Public Library could add access aisles at accessible parking spaces, properly sloped access ramps, and properly secured carpets at the entrance; Town Hall could be updated to provide accessible door handles and signs with raised lettering and Braille, including on elevator buttons; public service counters, such as the one at the police station, could be adjusted to be an “assessible height” and doors can close at a slower speed; the courthouse could have better signage to help navigate people to the nearest accessible entrance, and an elevator or platform lift to all public levels of the building; and the animal shelter could have accessible parking added, and also have slower closing door speeds for those with automatic closers.

“Town officials should assess the feasibility of taking additional steps to increase physical accessibility for the 131 components identified in this report,” the audit recommended. The audit also noted that the town agreed with the comptroller report’s findings and plans to “initiate corrective action.”

The report said Woodbury was selected from a list of all cities, towns, and villages that were not currently being audited by the OSC, and that the report’s findings are intended for “informational purposes only and should not be construed as OSC opining as to the legality of the Town’s compliance with ADA requirements.”

The full report can be found on the state comptroller’s website.