FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                           CR
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1993                          (202) 516-2765

NORWOOD, OHIO AGREES TO MAKE CITY HALL ACCESSIBLE
UNDER DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE SETTLEMENT

     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- An Ohio community has agreed to make it

easier for persons using wheelchairs to enter its city hall.  The

action settles a complaint filed with the Department of Justice

under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

     The complaint alleged that persons with mobility impairments

could not enter or use the building in Norwood, Ohio. The 

settlement, signed on Tuesday, requires Norwood to submit to the

Department by February 1994 plans to correct the problem.

      The settlement was negotiated under Title II of the ADA,

which prohibits discrimination against individuals with

disabilities on the basis of their disability by state and local

governments.

     The city of Norwood has cooperated with the Department in

reaching an agreement to provide equal access to its programs for

all its citizens, which is the essence of the ADA, said Acting

Assistant Attorney General James P. Turner of the Civil Rights

Division.

     The agreement requires Norwood to:



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--Develop a written compliance plan that includes a
timetable for providing access to the services, programs,
and activities in the city hall.

--Submit architectural plans, if appropriate, to the
Department for review.

--Make the agreement available to the public.

The settlement also permits the Department to petition U.S.
District Court to seek specific performance if the  city falls to
comply with its terms.

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