I was in Eureka Springs last month with my mother. Downtown we could only eat in one place, and she had to get out of her wheelchair with aid and step up a step to even get in it. We could not even shop down one whole street of stores because it was completely not accessable for a wheelchair, or even someone having to use a walker. I was furious! Most of the stores that she could get in on the other street had multilevels and she could not even go beyond the first little area to shop. What can be done about this, if anything?
2007-09-30 13:26:20 · 9 answers · asked by ganna 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ People with Disabilities
I did complain to a few of the owners. Apparently, it is a known problem to the mayor, etc., but it is against their city ordinances to change to "look" of their little city.
2007-09-30 13:47:19 · update #1
Document all the places inaccessible to your mom and you with photographs. Send a nicely worded letter to each business stating they are out of compliance with the American's with Disabilities Act . Ask them when they plan to be in compliance because you would like to visit their business.
If you get a nice reply- continue communication with them. Encourage them to make their business accessible. Offer to visit to help them figure out what to do.
If you get an angry reply or no reply - take copies of your photos and letters to and file a complaint with your local CIL, the Department of Justice, or a lawyer.
Edited to add: There is no place called ADA, most places do not have ADA Coordinators. If the mayor likes the look of his little town - then a talk with the Department of Justice is in order. They have a program called Project Civic Access - which assesses a city for compliance with the ADA and they might be very interested in your communication with the mayor.
2007-09-30 13:39:12 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
There is a limit on what can be done to accomodate for disabilities. Buildings of a historic nature are usually exempt from such requirements if it requires major work. Think about it, is it right to require a building to be completely redone and destroy its historic look for everyone because a small group of people cannot access it? Should Thomas Jefferson's home in Monticello be torn down because someone in a wheelchair can't go upstairs?
I sympathize with people in wheelchairs, but that doesn't mean everyone else should suffer for it, too.
I have been to Eureka Springs, though it's been a while. I can see why it would be a problem to redesign everything to accomodate wheel chairs. I can also understand your frustration, but the town has been there for over a hundred years, and there's not much that can be done.
2007-10-03 09:56:36 · answer #2 · answered by The Doctor 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Going to the ADA is a good start as is talking to some of the store owners about how completely in accessible the stores are. Also the city needs to meet compliance codes for this. Take pictures of all of the places that didn't meet the ADA regulations and send them to the ADA but also let the mayor know that you are doing this and send him copies of all of the pictures and the governor of the state as his office should have seen to it that even though this maybe a historical section that it MUST meet the accessibilities standards set forth by the ADA.
2007-10-01 09:10:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Everyone has good ideas on who to contact, I have a few more, go to the media about it. Start a petition. Write letters to assocations for disabled persons. What can really work is an email campaign with a link to petition attached, have someone create one online, contact your politicians and make a noise, get a group of disabled people together and attend a town meeting. If it is a tourist designation or a place tours stop, contact the tour companies, especially those catering to seniors.
2007-10-01 15:41:18 · answer #4 · answered by isotope2007 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
File a formal complaint with the federal Office of Civil Rights (OCR). Also, you may want to contact disability advocacy organizations and get advice on the practicality of filing a class-action suit against the municipality. As you describe it they are clearly in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
2007-10-01 15:01:00 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bummer, my boyfriend was in a wheel chair in 1989 and we didn't have much trouble anywhere except we didn't think to ask for handicapped parking until he got out of the hospital. We couldn't use the handicapped parking at his college so I had to take him to where the ramp was then go move the car. One store had a step and no ramp, I went and asked them how he could come shop and they didn't have any way to get his chair up to the store level. I had to try to lift him on my back and move his chair up then get him back in it, good think I am strong.
Most people were very nice a door man at a hotel offered to help when we were just using a parking meter in the street not going to the hotel. One waitress was embarrassed when I went to cut his meat because his hand was in a cast too and said she should have thought to do that. I used a few handicapped parking spaces just to get him out of the car then went to move the car when I got him out of the rain and nobody got mad at all.
Things should be better now that we have a disability act but it wasn't all that bad then.
2007-10-01 03:07:51 · answer #6 · answered by shipwreck 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Contact your state's ADA Coordinator. I have mine on speed dial. People don't like it when you go over their heads.
2007-09-30 23:49:39 · answer #7 · answered by Miz Clark 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Take them to court.
2007-10-02 01:22:31 · answer #8 · answered by starone 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why is your mom shopping if shes in a wheelchair. What more could a person ever need!
2007-09-30 20:33:50 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 6⤋