FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CR THURSDAY, JULY 3, 1997 (202) 616-2777 TDD (202) 514-1888 WISCONSIN COUNTY AGREES TO MAKE COURTHOUSE ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE WHO USE WHEELCHAIRS WASHINGTON, D.C. A Wisconsin county will renovate its courthouse and jail facility to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to the county's law enforcement services, under an agreement reached today with the Justice Department. Today's agreement, reached under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), sets forth steps the county will take to comply with the law. It resolves a complaint which alleged that the Outagamie County's Justice Center, a five story building which houses courtrooms, a jail, the Sheriff's Office and other county services, was inaccessible to people who use wheelchairs. In order to allow public entities to resolve potential accessibility problems before they become law enforcement matters, federal regulations require state and local governments to prepare two reports and make them public. One report, a "self-evaluation report," evaluates whether any of its services, policies, and practices deny qualified individuals with disabilities the opportunity to participate in or benefit from those services. A second report, a "transition plan," specifies any structural changes that must be made in its facilities to ensure that those facilities are readily accessible to individuals with disabilities. The Justice Department's investigation revealed that Outagamie County had not prepared those reports for its Justice Center. As a result of the Justice Department's investigation, the county identified the accessibility problems in the building, and developed a transition plan to correct those problems. "Today's agreement demonstrates that self-evaluations and transition plans are not just paperwork, they are essential tools for state and local governments to use to make their programs accessible," said Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Isabelle Katz Pinzler. The agreement requires, among other things, Outagamie County to: * renovate the courtrooms to provide wheelchair seating for observers; * provide permanent assistive listening systems for the courtrooms; * provide accessible jail cells, and restrooms throughout the building; * complete a self-evaluation report within 120 days; * complete all renovations by the end of the calendar year; * appoint and train ADA Coordinators to assist people with disabilities with questions or problems; * post a notice in the building describing the County's efforts to comply with the ADA and identify the ADA Coordinators, and distribute materials describing the County's obligations under Title II to all County employees working in the Justice Center. Under Title II of the ADA, public entities must make their services, programs and activities accessible to people with disabilities. Individuals interested in learning more about their rights and obligations under the law can call the Justice Department's toll-free ADA Information Line. The hotline was established by Attorney General Janet Reno as a part of a nationwide campaign to educate the public about the law. The number is 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD). The Department also has an ADA Homepage which can be accessed on the internet at: (http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm). # # # 97-282