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Federal agency looking into ADA violations in one southern Colorado city
http://www.koaa.com/story/28100017/news5-investigates-federal-agency-looking-into-ada-violations-in-one-southern-colorado-city
TRINIDAD -
The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating a series of ADA violations in Trinidad.
The disabled say many of the public buildings like the post office and City Hall along with sidewalks are not accessible.
They addressed concerns with city leaders, but allege they are turning a blind eye to the problem.
Unless you are disabled and use a wheelchair to get around, you probably wouldn't think about whether a door is wide enough for a wheelchair to get through or whether sidewalks have curb ramps to help those with special needs safely cross the street.
There are ADA standards that address these very issues, but they aren't always followed.
Stephen Hamer is confined to a wheelchair, but that doesn't stop him from getting around town, or at least trying!
“In many parts of the city, you have trees, signs, and lamp posts in the middle of the sidewalk,” Hamer said. “What this does is force you onto the roadway.”
Hamer admits he has traveled in the street before and says police have stopped him twice.
"The police were coming by and asking what I was doing on the roadway,” he said. “They turn a blind to the very obstructions that were creating the discrimination for us. Then they want to punish you and give you a ticket."
That's not all he's mad about and showed our News5 camera crew many of the sidewalks that are in disrepair.
“This is a clear example of an ADA violation,” Hamer said as he pointed out a steep sidewalk ramp.
Many of the intersections have wheelchair ramps on one end, but when you cross the street, you will find no ramp.
"People have to come out on the street and come through the drive way to get to the post office,” Hamer said.
Perhaps one of the biggest issues that rubbed Hamer the wrong way happened when he brought up numerous ADA violations inside of all places, City Hall!
Hamer claims there wasn't a wheelchair accessible restroom and that he couldn't fit through the doors.
"I talked to the City manager and the City put a portable restroom in the parking lot for the disabled and it was a wheelchair accessible portable restroom and I told them I didn't want to revisit this issue in the fall or winter,” Hamer said.
Hamer took his concerns up the ladder, filing a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Documents obtained by News5 confirm the agency does have an active investigation, but we wanted answers from the City.
"We are doing everything we can to be ADA compliant,” City Attorney Les Downs said.
We showed Downs a picture of a sidewalk on Church street which appears inaccessible for the disabled.
"That particular part of the street is not wheelchair accessible,” he admitted.
Downs did go onto say that a person in a wheelchair can go into the parking lot and around that portion of the sidewalk, or cross the street and use the sidewalk on the opposite side of the road.
“We are an old city and some of our sidewalks and intersections don't comply with current ADA standards,” Planning Director Louis Fineberg said.
The City does say they have “big” changes in the works.
The City has set aside $82,000 this year for ADA projects, 25 times what they spent last year.
For a look at their budget expenses, click here.
The City has also installed a unisex bathroom on the first floor of City Hall and we did verify the Council Chamber is accessible for the disabled, with three clearly marked seats up front for them.
As for getting through smaller doors connecting to city offices, the City says Mr. Hamer has an extremely large wheelchair and it may not fit through every door.
City leaders are planning a new revitalization project which they say will address many of Hamer's concerns.
"We are completely revamping Commercial street and various other streets this year,” Downs said. “As we do that, we want to ensure the sidewalks are completely ADA compliant."
Downs says the City is ready to break ground on the multi-million dollar project on Commercial Street.
They are soliciting bids right now.
The U.S. Department of Justice is awaiting a formal response from the City on the ADA violations complaint.
News5 Investigates will keep you updated.
If you have an issue you'd like News5 Investigates to look into, call us at 228-6280.
To view a list of City capital improvement projects in the City of Trinidad, click here.
To view Mr. Hamer's formal complaint against the City, click here.
Hamer tells News5 although he has been stopped twice by police, he was let off with a warning both times and has not been stopped since those incidents.
http://www.koaa.com/story/28100017/news5-investigates-federal-agency-looking-into-ada-violations-in-one-southern-colorado-city
TRINIDAD -
The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating a series of ADA violations in Trinidad.
The disabled say many of the public buildings like the post office and City Hall along with sidewalks are not accessible.
They addressed concerns with city leaders, but allege they are turning a blind eye to the problem.
Unless you are disabled and use a wheelchair to get around, you probably wouldn't think about whether a door is wide enough for a wheelchair to get through or whether sidewalks have curb ramps to help those with special needs safely cross the street.
There are ADA standards that address these very issues, but they aren't always followed.
Stephen Hamer is confined to a wheelchair, but that doesn't stop him from getting around town, or at least trying!
“In many parts of the city, you have trees, signs, and lamp posts in the middle of the sidewalk,” Hamer said. “What this does is force you onto the roadway.”
Hamer admits he has traveled in the street before and says police have stopped him twice.
"The police were coming by and asking what I was doing on the roadway,” he said. “They turn a blind to the very obstructions that were creating the discrimination for us. Then they want to punish you and give you a ticket."
That's not all he's mad about and showed our News5 camera crew many of the sidewalks that are in disrepair.
“This is a clear example of an ADA violation,” Hamer said as he pointed out a steep sidewalk ramp.
Many of the intersections have wheelchair ramps on one end, but when you cross the street, you will find no ramp.
"People have to come out on the street and come through the drive way to get to the post office,” Hamer said.
Perhaps one of the biggest issues that rubbed Hamer the wrong way happened when he brought up numerous ADA violations inside of all places, City Hall!
Hamer claims there wasn't a wheelchair accessible restroom and that he couldn't fit through the doors.
"I talked to the City manager and the City put a portable restroom in the parking lot for the disabled and it was a wheelchair accessible portable restroom and I told them I didn't want to revisit this issue in the fall or winter,” Hamer said.
Hamer took his concerns up the ladder, filing a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Documents obtained by News5 confirm the agency does have an active investigation, but we wanted answers from the City.
"We are doing everything we can to be ADA compliant,” City Attorney Les Downs said.
We showed Downs a picture of a sidewalk on Church street which appears inaccessible for the disabled.
"That particular part of the street is not wheelchair accessible,” he admitted.
Downs did go onto say that a person in a wheelchair can go into the parking lot and around that portion of the sidewalk, or cross the street and use the sidewalk on the opposite side of the road.
“We are an old city and some of our sidewalks and intersections don't comply with current ADA standards,” Planning Director Louis Fineberg said.
The City does say they have “big” changes in the works.
The City has set aside $82,000 this year for ADA projects, 25 times what they spent last year.
For a look at their budget expenses, click here.
The City has also installed a unisex bathroom on the first floor of City Hall and we did verify the Council Chamber is accessible for the disabled, with three clearly marked seats up front for them.
As for getting through smaller doors connecting to city offices, the City says Mr. Hamer has an extremely large wheelchair and it may not fit through every door.
City leaders are planning a new revitalization project which they say will address many of Hamer's concerns.
"We are completely revamping Commercial street and various other streets this year,” Downs said. “As we do that, we want to ensure the sidewalks are completely ADA compliant."
Downs says the City is ready to break ground on the multi-million dollar project on Commercial Street.
They are soliciting bids right now.
The U.S. Department of Justice is awaiting a formal response from the City on the ADA violations complaint.
News5 Investigates will keep you updated.
If you have an issue you'd like News5 Investigates to look into, call us at 228-6280.
To view a list of City capital improvement projects in the City of Trinidad, click here.
To view Mr. Hamer's formal complaint against the City, click here.
Hamer tells News5 although he has been stopped twice by police, he was let off with a warning both times and has not been stopped since those incidents.