FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          CR
MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 1997                           (202) 616-2765
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888
    FESTIVAL TO BECOME MORE ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES 
               UNDER JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AGREEMENT
                                 
      Minnesota Renaissance Festival is the Largest of its
                      Kind in the Country
                                
     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Under an agreement reached today with
the Department of Justice, Mid-America Festivals, the operator of
the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, will make its facilities more
accessible for persons with disabilities.  

     The festival, which is the largest of its kind in the
country, features a variety of entertainment, art and crafts
vendors, and food specialties from Renaissance Europe.  It is
held for seven consecutive weekends, starting in mid-August, on
22 acres of land in Shakopee, Minnesota, just outside of
Minneapolis.  The festival is designed to resemble a 15th century
village.

     "People with disabilities should have the opportunity to
experience the unique culture of a Renaissance festival," said
Deval L. Patrick, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. 
"We hope that all festival operators will follow today's model
policy."

     Today's settlement resolves a complaint filed under the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by a Wisconsin man who uses
a wheelchair.  He alleged that he was unable to visit many of the
shops and booths at the festival because they were not
accessible, and that some shops had ramps that were dangerously
steep. 
 
     Under the agreement, Mid-America Festivals will:

     lower ticket booths to make them accessible to people with
     disabilities; 

     provide assistance to patrons who use parking designated for
     persons with disabilities;

     maintain an accessible prepared path to the entrance and
     exit of the facility;

     provide food booths with accessible counters;

     providing accessible portable restroom facilities and
     telephones;   

     ensure that all barriers to access are removed from
     independently owned shops where readily achievable; and,

     pay civil penalties to the government.

     The Festival operators have already implemented many of
these changes for the 1996 festival as a result of the
Department's investigation.  
 
     People who are interested in finding out more about the ADA
or would like to obtain copies of today's agreement can call the
Justice Department's toll-free ADA Information Line at (800) 514-
0301 or (800) 514-0383 TDD or access the ADA home page at
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm.    
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