Officials working to replace balky palace wheelchair lift

Question: As visitors to this remarkable state, my family and I have been overjoyed with our visit, until we went to Iolani Palace, which was very high on our bucket list. My mother is 83 and needs a wheelchair. This is usually no problem due to the 1990 federal Americans with Disabilities Act. But it was a major problem at the palace, where we were told we would not be able to take the tour because the wheelchair lift was out of service. If this was a short-term mechanical problem I can understand that. But we were told it has been out of order for one month. Why hasn’t it been fixed? A state that does not pay attention to the needs of one of the fastest growing segments of the population needs to be bypassed for other states.

Answer: If the wheelchair lift had only been out of order for one month, there probably would be cause for celebration. But it has been unusable off and on — mostly off — for more than two years.

When we reported on a similar complaint last August, the complainant said the lift had been broken for a year and a half. (See bit.ly/1LL0FMk.)

At that time, state officials apologized for the lack of access for people using wheelchairs and powered mobility devices to the interior of the palace, saying they hoped to have a new lift completed in late 2015. However, the latest word from the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ State Parks Division, which oversees Iolani Palace, is that a new lift should be in operation in March 2016 "if everything goes smoothly."

"We are aware of the malfunctioning lift," which has "been repaired many times in the last two years, only to consistently break down again and again," said Francine Wai, executive director, state Disability and Communication Access Board.

"Numerous attempts to repair the outmoded lift, which was not designed for such a volume of use, did result in short-lived success," she said. "However, that lasted only a few round trips before breaking down. The decision to replace the incline lift was then made."

"If everything goes smoothly," the lift project should go out to bid and be awarded to a contractor in November, then be completed next March, according to DLNR. The estimated cost is about $150,000, which includes removal of the old lift. 

Virtual Tour Option

Although some buildings can claim exemptions from ADA requirements for historic reasons, this is not the case with Iolani Palace.

"The ADA does provide options for those areas that cannot be accessed due to technical infeasibility and there are some exceptions for historical buildings," Wai explained. "However, it was determined a long time ago that putting in a lift would not threaten or destroy the historical significance of the (palace), so a lift was put in. Now that it is not functioning well, they need to replace it because they cannot claim a historical exception."

She said her office has encouraged Iolani Palace to prepare a "virtual tour" video, "which we believe would be permitted as an interim solution."

Planning for a "virtual tour" is already underway.

"We unfortunately do not have any viable options for those who are unable to walk down the steps where the wheelchair lift is located," said Kippen deAlba Chu, executive director of Iolani Palace. "Since the state has been so delayed in replacing the existing lift, we recently looked into creating a virtual tour using 3-D scanning technology and high-definition cameras that is now being used to sell luxury homes in Hawaii."

Palace officials met with LNG3D, a company from Vancouver, British Columbia, that recently opened a Honolulu office, to assess the costs involved, and also planned to apply for a grant from the Hawaii Community Foundation.

If the grant comes through, they hope to use some of the money to produce a virtual tour this summer or early fall, Chu said.

Auwe

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