WJBF News Channel 6
Author: George Eskola | WJBF News Channel 6 Senior Reporter
Published: October 27, 2009
Updated: October 27, 2009
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Augusta, GA-It was a water bill that brought Gwen Barefoot and her mother to the Augusta Municipal Building, and Gwen found out what it's like to deal with the city government with someone in a wheelchair. "They seemed really helpful with the rain and everything helping us get in with the umbrellas opening the doors helping us get in and check in and stuff it was no problem," she said.
But, there is a problem if Augusta does not provide equal access to people with disabilities in its buildings. And, the U.S. Department of Justice is in town making sure the city is following the Americans with Disabilities Act. The wide-ranging civil rights law, passed in 1990, bans discrimination against those with disabilities.
"What we're looking at now is they're going to give us a measure of where we are today and help us put together a plan to get to accessibility issues in the future," says City Administrator Fred Russell.
Several compliance audit teams from the Justice Department are in town checking out city buildings like the Law Enforcement Center, and the Municipal Building.
The Justice Department has received complaints about Augusta from ADA activists, and city leaders have no doubts violations will be uncovered.
"The commitment is there from the city we welcome the opportunity to come into compliance and once again it may take us some time but we'll get there," says Mayor Deke Copenhaver.
And, depending on what the compliance auditors find, getting there will cost the city because the Justice Department will demand violations be corrected. "Once they get the data we'll be negotiating time frames and those types of things to move forward but the bottom line is to meet the intent of the law we have to do this," say Russell.
"It's going to cost a little bit in the long run but we're not going to have to do this immediately they understand this is going to have to be phased in," says Mayor Copenhaver.
The audit teams are scheduled to look at about half the city buildings and city inspectors will review the others following ADA guidelines.
City leaders expect the Justice Department will allow three years to correct violations, but at Augusta's expense.