Giving Everyone a Voice – March 15, 2017

Gillespie Corporation helped the U.S Speaker’s Rostrum celebrate the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by installing a highly sophisticated accessibility system, making the rostrum wheelchair-accessible. The U.S House of Representatives has a commanding aura steeped in history and grandeur like few other places, and our engineers were determined to keep it that way. The lift needed to be unobtrusive and uniform with the existing structure, while also contending with severely constricted space.

Gillespie engineers designed a sophisticated two-lift accessibility system that eliminated the steps and 90-degree turn required to get from the House Floor to the Speaker’s rostrum. On July 26, 2010, the U.S House of Representatives welcomed Congressman Jim Langevin, a quadriplegic, into the rostrum as acting Speaker.

two-lift accessibility system
“I have long said that I may be the first quadriplegic to serve in Congress, but I won’t be the last. This is an extremely proud moment for me and helps renew my spirit as we continue to remove barriers and strengthen the ADA for millions of Americans with disabilities in the decades to come.”
– Congressman Jim Langevin

Challenging project? Contact us at sales@gillespiecorp.com, call 413-967-4980 or visit www.gillespiecorp.com.