[Noisebridge-discuss] ADA Access for the future Noisebridge

Wed Feb 28 00:05:57 UTC 2018

Hi Zach,

*"Is equal access for all a fundamental part of Noisebridge's mission?"*

It is!  Nobody should be prevented from coming to Noisebridge because of
disability.  Accessibilty is one of the top criteria when we talk about
when a space is being presented.

In the nearly eight years since Noisebridge moved into 2169#3, market rents
have literally quadrupled.  Imagine a Noisebridge where we're paying four
times our current rent, Zach.

Philanthropist & membership dues would be $320, not $80!  That would leave
Noisebridge inaccessible to most, if not all. (That's more than double
TechShop's old rates, without all their equipment.)

To deal with that, we expanded our search to include spaces that are not
*currently* ADA accessible, because-
a) they fit our extremely limited size/location/price nexus (being only
2-2.5 times more money), AND
b) we feel there's a good chance those spaces can be upgraded to accomodate
everyone.

Note that I said "not currently ADA accessible."  Of the two spaces on the
table today, one is at least 90% compatible (and easily brought up to
100%), and the other has a big hurdle (stairs) which the landlord might be
willing to help us overcome (I am waiting on an answer). And remember that
we have talented people with architecture and construction skills in our
membership.

* "I know finding an accessible space is going to be really, really hard.
I do ask that people really try though.  That includes educating ourselves
around access and including disabled people in the search and in the
conversation."*
A perfect space meeting Noisebridge's accessibility, size, price, location
needs will not just fall into our laps. You can help Noisebridge by joining
the hunt and finding some spaces which fits our needs.

Try loopnet.com and sfbay.craigslist.org, those seem to be the two main
services where industrial and flex properties get listed. Our current
criteria-

1. Accessibility: ground floor with wide doors, accessible bathrooms,
and/or an elevator if not ground or if multi-floor (or potential to be made
accessible)
2. Price: the current rent is around $9.50/sqft/year, and we'd like to keep
it under $24/yr
3. Location: consensus is to be within 10-15 minutes of BART and major bus
lines (that excludes Dogpatch, Bayview, Hunters Point etc)
4. Size: 4,000 square feet, or more

When you prioritize all four criteria equally, the number of vacant spaces
falls to zero. If we expand the search to spaces that we or the landlord
can modify for accessibility, we get a handful. Or, at least we *did* get a
handful, but now the market appears to have dried up. Prices are rising,
and vacancies are vanishing as tech firms continue to flood San Francisco.
That's why the two spaces on the table are not perfect.

Call brokers and ask if they know about spaces meeting our criteria! The
more people who are involved in the hunt, the more chances we have at
surviving this fall.

We're on your side, man!  Join us in the search!  Don't fight your fellow
Noisebridgers -- fight NB's impending doom at the hands of the most
nefarious villain of all, The Market. :)

Best,
Kevin

On Tue, Feb 27, 2018 at 3:09 PM, Zach R <organicunity at hotmail.com> wrote:

> Hi everyone,
>
>      It was recently brought to my attention that the search for a new
> Noisebridge home has included many (perhaps solely) inaccessible places.  Meaning,
> the future Noisebridge would not allow me, or anyone else in a wheelchair,
> walker, etc. to enter.  This would eliminate me from being part of the
> community entirely.
>
>
>
> Now, I know the search for a new place is very rough, rents are
> exorbitant, and I would not want to stand in the way of Noisebridge
> continuing to exist.  But I think there needs to be a huge shift in the
> effort being put towards finding accessible spaces.  I have some ideas
> listed below.  But first, I want to pose a question to the community
> because I get different answers / opinions from different people:
>
>
> *Is equal access for all a fundamental part of Noisebridge's mission?*
>
>
>
> I don't know the answer to that question, but I think it is a good one to
> talk about among the community.
>
>
>
> Now, as far as an actual sincere effort to searching for an accessible
> space.  Here are some suggestions:
>
>
>
>    - *Include disabled people in this conversation and ask them about
>    their needs* -this is very important.  Please don't assume what
>    people's needs are.  Please include some disabled people in the
>    closed-circle Noisebridge building search.
>
>
>
>    - Call and ask the landlord exactly what accessibility looks like.  How
>    many steps are there?  What is the size of the door, gate, etc?  How
>    narrow / wide are hallways and entry areas?  Is there a large
>    single-occupancy bathroom?  What is the slope of the entry way?  Is
>    there a working elevator?  Relay this information to disabled members
>    for feedback and input /*before*/ going to a space, taking pictures,
>    and getting really attached to it.
>
>
>
>    - Reach out to organizations and do an internet search for
>    accessibility options, and laws around construction and such.  You,
>    yes, /you/ can actually step up to do some of this research.  Call:
>
>             *Senior Disability Action (https://sdaction.org/
> <https://sdaction.org/>  (415) 546-1333 <(415)%20546-1333>)*
>
> *            ILRC (https://www.ilrcsf.org/ <https://www.ilrcsf.org/> (415)
> 543-6222 <(415)%20543-6222>)*
>
>             or similar places to ask for advice.
>
>
>
> I want to be clear that I don't expect to be a part of Noisebridge come
> August.  I know finding an accessible space is going to be really, really
> hard.  I do ask that people really try though.  That includes educating
> ourselves around access and including disabled people in the search and in
> the conversation.
>
>
>
> I plan on attending the meeting tonight (which hopefully happens) in case
> anyone wants to discuss this stuff with me.  I do ask however, that you
> do not vent your frustrations on me.  I do not want to be the scapegoat
> for San Francisco's problems with ADA access and high rents.  As the most
> active wheelchair-using member of Noisebridge I have had to work overtime
> educating people about access, ableism, and advocating for myself.  It's
> exhausting.  I am just trying to be a part of the community and I hope
> everyone can understand and respect that.
>
>
> Thanks for reading this and taking the time to care about these issues.  I
> look forward to our conversation and growth as a community together.
>
>
>
> -Zach
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> Noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net
> https://lists.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss
>
>
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