AUG 23 1994 The Honorable Bill Bradley United States Senator 1 Greentree Centre Suite 303 Marlton, New Jersey 08053 Dear Senator Bradley: This is in response to your inquiry on behalf of your constituent, XX She states that she is a person with a disability who has difficulty gaining access to her physician's office because of steps, doors, and curbs that impede access. She also complains that she has difficulty in other places where wheelchairs, especially wheelchairs for large people, are not provided, and in restaurants that do not have chairs with rollers along with booths. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) imposes certain obligations on places of public accommodation to make their goods and services accessible to persons with disabilities. Existing facilities, such as the doctor's office and restaurants mentioned, must remove barriers to access to the extent it is readily achievable to do so. Readily achievable is defined in the statute to mean easily accomplishable without much difficulty or expense. An examination of the barriers involved and the resources of the public accommodation is necessary to determine whether a particular action is readily achievable. In restaurants that have fixed seating, such as booths, the restaurant must, if readily achievable, make 5% (or not less than one) of such seating accessible to persons who use wheelchairs. There is no requirement for chairs with rollers. Nor is there a requirement in the ADA that public accommodations provide wheelchairs for the use of their customers with disabilities. cc: Records, Chrono, Wodatch, Magagna, McDowney, MAF, FOIA udd\magagna\congress\bradley.2 01-03363 - 2 - Enclosed is a report of the Department's enforcement activities under the ADA. It also contains information about how to file a complaint with the Department. If your constituent has further questions about the ADA, she may call the Department's ADA information line at 1-800-514-0301 between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. EDT. I hope this information will assist you in responding to your constituent. Sincerely, Deval L. Patrick Assistant Attorney General Civil Rights Division Enclosures 01-03364 May 4, 1994 XX XX Williamstown, NJ XX N.J. US. Senate c/o Bill Bradley 731 Senate Hart office Bld Washington D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Bradley I am a disabled person I am unable to enter my doctors office Dr. James Melecka Willow St + B.H.P Williamstown NJ 08094 due to no feasable access, he has 2 sets of stairs and two doors that open the wrong way he has no ramp or entrance for people such as myself. I have mentioned this to him on numerous occassions and he seems to ignore me each time, the further my disease progresses the harder it becomes, there are also no low curbs when I find it necessary to park in the street. I also find high curbs at Monroe Med. Cntr 640 B.H.P Williamstown NJ 08094. I not only find a problem at these places but almost everywhere I go. There are not allways wheelchairs, there are NEVER ones for large people, I find it hard at times to find restaurants that have tables with/with- out chairs with rollers along with booth ILLEGIBLE I thought that everyone had to comply with the law of 1969. What can be done ILLEGIBLE 01-03365 correct this problem, I feel as if I'm a prisoner that can't leave my home because everywhere I go seems the same Sincerely XX XX Williamstown NJ XX XX XX 01-03366