2021 Mousetrap Winner - Smart Transformation Award

ADA Ramp Inspections Tracker

Seminole County, FL
NLTAPA Conference Overall Winner

Download 2021 Booklet as PDF

Seminole County is one of the most populous counties in Florida. Residents who are considered disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) make up approximately 7 percent of the county’s population. To ensure safe, accessible facilities for these residents and ensure compliance with State and Federal regulations, Seminole County regularly conducts ADA inspections of its facilities. The existing process for those inspections was outdated and time consuming, requiring inspectors to use paper, transcribe notes, and create tables. “The transcription process resulted in time-intensive duplication of efforts for inspectors. Efforts would then be duplicated once again to document the inspections in the geographic information system (GIS),” said Jose Salas, Seminole County Public Works. 

The County began looking at options to better streamline the ADA ramp inspection process and improve its workforce management. The solution was to develop a mobile application using Esri ArcGIS mapping software. The County already had licenses for the software for use in Environmental Services for water quality reports. They saw an opportunity to expand its use to improve the ADA inspection program. Working directly with inspectors in the field, Seminole County developed a mobile application in-house. “The first test was a giant failure because none of the images uploaded. It was a growing pain, but we were able to fix the coding. Despite the issues, all the inspectors were excited and responded positively to the app,” said Jose. “Everything we do is iterative. If it is not done right the first time, keep going until we get it where it needs to be.”

Since launching the mobile application, Seminole County’s ADA inspectors have reduced their reliance on paper, reduced inspection time from 1.5 hours to 5 minutes per ramp, and reduced time to document inspection results from 8–16 hours per project to zero. According to Jose, the total time to inspect a project was reduced from 3–4 days to 1 day. This turnaround has improved safety for residents and saved money and time for Seminole County’s ADA inspection program. “We continue to make improvements to the program, especially with reporting,” said Jose. “But our advice to other agencies is to try not to be controlled by your fears and know the limitations of your organization.” Jose said the greatest benefit is that they took a team-centric approach to developing their solutions. “We are a community and make every effort to work as a community. We support each other any way we can.”

Congratulations to Seminole County as the 2021 Build a Better Mousetrap Smart Transformation Award recipient. They are also the national overall winner as selected by attendees at the National Local and Tribal Technical Assistance Program’s Annual Conference.

Seminole County is dedicating this award to their co-worker Calvin Landers, who they lost in a tragic accident a few years ago. Calvin was a mentor and supervisor who oversaw all the county’s construction projects. He is deeply missed.

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