From The Port

City Hall Rear (Handicapped) Entrance Locked Thursday Evening March 30th, Blocking Access to City Council Meeting on Police Traffic Enforcemet

Ready Access denied at City Hall, Cambridge

Most of the time, when I attend a meeting held at City Hall, Cambridge, the rear entrance provided for PWD's os unlocked, and the auto door opener is working, and one can enter, and get to the meeting on time.

However, This past Thursday evening, the door was locked, resulting in ready access being denied. This is especially ironic, as the meeting was about police traffic enforcement, called by the Committee for Traffic, Parking and Transportation. I, myself, had entered the building early, but minits after, the person who uses the walker above found the doors locked. Why is this?

This is not the first time this has happened, and I fear not the last. There is no buzzer, or call system to assist PWD's at the rear door, and no phone number to call, to allert those at the meeting that a PWD is standing outside, wanting to go to the meeting, but not being able to enter the building. I have never seen a single police order about this type of access problem. However, I did encounter Assistant City Manager outside City Hall one evening, as I was standing outside, with the door locked, and unable to get to a hearing where my presence was material.

While I was waiting, outside the locked doors, several others came and went. And I observed a car driven by a PWD also be unable to park. So, I got out my camera, ant took a photo of the orange City Owned pick up truck parked in the dedicated HP spot. That is when Mr Rossi exited the building, but alas, I wasn't quick enough to grab the door. Mr Rossi immediately apologised for the car parked in the HP space and said he would take care of it. The following day I went to the office of the City manager, and requested an appointment, and was given one, for a meeting with myself and the City Manager and Mr Rossi.

I brought a writen adgenda to this meeting, and I gave each of them a copy, and I kept to the adgenda. I still have a copy of this adgenda, and I use this whenever someone in the City whines, "Why didn't you tell us?"

The main point of this adgenda was to inform the City manager that I wasn't "whining" myself, I wasn't just complaining for the heck or it, that continuing patterns of discrimination were serious and violations of law, the Civil Rights Act of 1990, the ADA. I explained where I was on the progression of bringing my dissatisfaction to the attention of City officials. I explained my 3 court theory, and told them that if the City did not respond to my concerns in a meaningful way, and continued to defy the law, and ignore these issues, that I would, indeed, file a complaint with the Department of Justice.

Mr Rossi informed me he would take care of the locked door, and blocked HP spaces, and that it wouldn't happen again. Since then there have been dozens of violations, but I have only photographed one dozen of them. I must say, that I have exhausted my opatience with this.

I am not an enabler!

posted by Kathy Podgers @ Saturday, April 01, 2006