Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Richmond Thinks It Wins but People with Disabilities Lose

From a member of C-FAIR (Citizens for Fair Access in Richmond)

Alright Comrades, It looks like we've got a larger challenge before us than I even imagined. The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the city will not be held responsible for allocating the funds that will be required to bring our schools into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

How many of you saw this article in the Times Dispatch last week?
Can you believe the title? "Richmond wins on school accessibility"

Who wins exactly?

Please tell me that this moral ambiguity is not shared by the majority of Richmonders! Surely, we don't really think it's acceptable that the city does not bear responsibility for ensuring that people with disabilities can get into and around school buildings. By the way, historically, the city has been the sole provider for Richmond City Schools' capital improvements budget.

This is not just a struggle for those of us with children in Richmond's schools to deal with. There are many exciting programs going on in our 60 public school buildings that are open to the general public after the school day, yet only four of those 60 buildings are fully accessible. Deliberate mal-intent or not, the message is clear: People with disabilities are not welcome to participate. It's just too much trouble.

C-FAIR (Citizens for Fair Access in Richmond), the group of concerned Richmonders that brought this lawsuit, is getting together on Thursday, February 22nd at Childrens Hospital from 6-9pm. Please join us to share your thoughts or just demonstrate your support. And come hungry but with a belly full of angst!

Read the article to learn more or call 804-355-0543 for more information