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Focus on accessibility will make PNC Park everybody's ballpark
Sunday, July 25, 1999 By Robert Dvorchak, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
Opening day is 625 days away, and construction is still in the early phase, but the new baseball park is already a huge hit with one segment of fans.
The Pirates have gotten rave reviews for ensuring that PNC Park will be accessible to those with all types of disabilities, plus designing little touches such as a close-captioned scoreboard and private family toilets with self-locking doors.
"This will be as open as any building in the country. It's a new standard for buildings in Pittsburgh," said Joan Stein, a social worker and chief executive officer of Accessibility Development Associates Inc., a for-profit subsidiary of the Three Rivers Center for Independent Living.
New buildings are required to conform with the provisions of the Americans With Disabilities Act, which was signed into federal law nine years ago July 26. For those with disabilities, it's not just a building code, it's a civil rights law.
Last September, when PNC Park was still in the concept stage, the Pirates enlisted Stein's company to consult with architects at HOK Sports to make sure the ballpark would be open to everyone.
Such planning from the start makes sure that every entrance will be wheelchair accessible and that the disabled will be able to sit in all areas of the ballpark instead of being confined to special sections.
The special touches include electrical outlets to power ventilators, for those who can't breathe on their own, and to recharge wheelchair batteries.
For the hearing impaired, the scoreboard will feature closed captioning of public address announcements, allowing fans to know who's pinch-hitting or when there's a pitching change.
For the elderly who use canes or for parents with tots, family restrooms will be built throughout the park. At 5-by-5 feet, they have self-locking doors to accommodate nursing mothers and parents who feel uneasy taking opposite sex children into public facilities.
"From the get-go, what the Pirates said was they wanted to do it more than just right. The Pirates have gone beyond the law. They implemented the letter and spirit of the law," Stein said. "This is the Pirates commitment to make this user friendly. The accessibility is seamless. It's universal in its design."
Among those who worked with Stein on the design was Carol Cocuzzi, who requires a wheelchair because of a congenital disability caused by muscular dystrophy.
"We wanted to make sure we could view a game with everybody else," said Cocuzzi, who has sung the national anthem at games.
The Pirates considered special needs in all aspects of the ballpark -- from the concession stands to the luxury suites to the width of the seats and the amenities in children's areas.
"This is part of the philosophy of this ballpark, to make people comfy, to make it a place they want to go to," said Steve Greenberg, the Pirates vice president of new ballpark construction. "It's very different from the experience of Three Rivers."
Opened in 1970, Three Rivers was retrofitted with amenities for the disabled, but advocates say putting the touches in at the start heightens the impact.
The team wanted to reach out to those who can't get around as easily as other fans, including the significant elderly population in Allegheny County.
"They're great fans. They sit at home, watching on TV or listening on the radio. We want to offer them the opportunity to come to games. We want to be able to sell season tickets to people in wheelchairs," Greenberg said.
"This franchise will live and die on the frequency of visits. Access is as important as giving away Beanie Babies on Sundays. We want people to know this is everybody's ballpark," Greenberg added.
Praise has already come from the National Organization on Disability, a Washington, D.C.-based network that works for the full and equal participation of the 54 million Americans with disabilities.
In a letter of thanks to Pirates owner Kevin McClatchy, NOD President Alan Reich wrote: "Nothing is more important to people with disabilities than being able to participate as avid fans, knowing that there are no architectural or attitudinal barriers."
Consulting work is also being done for the parking garages and lots that will be built in and around PNC Park.
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