CR (202) 616-2777WWW.USDOJ.GOV
TDD (202) 514-1888
HANK WILLIAMS, SR. MUSEUM IN GEORGIANA, ALABAMA TO IMPROVE ACCESS UNDER SETTLEMENT WITH JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Hank Williams, Sr. Museum in Georgiana, Alabama, will now be fully accessible to individuals with disabilities, under an agreement reached today with the Justice Department.
The out-of-court agreement resolves allegations that the city of Georgiana violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by not providing access to programs and services offered by the town, including those at the museum, the City Hall, the Police Station, and the Magistrate's Court and Council Chamber.
The agreement requires the city to install entrance ramps, modify existing rest rooms, and alter sidewalks to provide access to the programs offered at the sites. The town has already started the work on several of the projects.
"Today's agreement is a good example of how we have been working with small towns across America to provide greater access to local government programs," said Bill Lann Lee, Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. "A large percentage of our ADA complaints involve access to programs and services offered in smaller towns, and we are committed to working with these towns to resolve them."
The Hank Williams, Sr. Museum, a major attraction in Georgiana, is the childhood home of the country music singer/songwriter, known for his string of hit songs during the late 1940's that included "Cold, Cold Heart," "Jambalaya," and "Lovesick Blues."
The ADA, passed in July of 1990, prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. Title II of the Act requires that programs, services, and activities of state and local governments are readily accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities.
For more information about this agreement, the ADA, or technical assistance that is available to aid in compliance with the ADA, individuals can call the Justice Department's toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (voice) or 800-514-0383 (TDD). Information can also be obtained from the Justice Department's ADA home page on the World Wide Web at: (http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm).
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