CR (202) 616-2777WWW.USDOJ.GOV
TDD (202) 514-1888
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES AGREEMENTS
REACHED WITH SEVEN COMMUNITIES TO ENSURE CIVIC ACCESS
FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Justice Department today announced agreements with seven communities that will improve access to all aspects of civic life including, courthouses, libraries, polling places, police stations, and parks.
These agreements are part of the Department's Project Civic Access initiative, a wide-ranging effort to ensure that cities, towns, and villages comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act or "ADA." One aspect of the initiative includes investigators surveying villages, towns, cities, and counties across the country. Another aspect includes the distribution of two user-friendly guides to cities and towns explaining how to comply with the ADA.
"Access to civic life is a fundamental part of American society," said Assistant Attorney General Bill Lann Lee. "We call on localities to take this initiative seriously and to use these agreements as models to make their programs fully accessible to all people, including people with disabilities. These important steps should be taken even without a review by the Department."
The seven settlements announced today include Boulder County, Colorado; Fernandina Beach, Florida; Moscow, Idaho; Pella, Iowa; Farmington, Maine; South Orange, New Jersey; and Laramie, Wyoming.
Negotiations continue with cities and towns in other states. On July 19, 2000, Attorney General Reno announced agreements with ten communities. On-site investigations have concluded in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Local government officials across the country have indicated a willingness to make changes to comply with the ADA and have cooperated with the Department's investigations. The project began last fall.
Depending on the circumstances in each community, the agreements address specific areas where access can be improved. For instance, the agreements require certain communities to:
- improve access at city and town halls; police and fire stations; sheriff departments; courthouses; teen and senior activities centers; convention centers; libraries; baseball stadiums; parks, pools, band shells, and gazebos;
- alter polling places or provide curbside or absentee balloting;
- upgrade 9-1-1 emergency services for people who are deaf;
- install assistive listening systems in legislative chambers, courtrooms, and municipal auditoriums; and,
- provide delivery systems and time frames for providing auxiliary aids, including sign language interpreters and materials in Braille, large print, or on cassette tapes;
The two informational guides, "Americans with Disabilities Act: A Guide for Small Towns" and "The ADA and City Governments: Common Problems," review the ADA's requirements and offer practical examples of how to comply. They are available on the Department's ADA website at usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm or through the Department's ADA information line.
Title II of the ADA prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities in the programs, services, and activities of state and local governments. Public entities must make reasonable modifications in policies that deny equal access, provide effective communication, and make their programs accessible through the removal of barriers or through alternate methods of program delivery, unless an undue burden or fundamental alteration of the program would result.
People interested in finding out more about the ADA or today's agreements can access the ADA home page or call the toll-free ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TDD).
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