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).

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