Vice Mayor Mark Rossi proclaimed July 26 Americans with Disabilities Act Awareness Day during this week’s City Commission meeting. The date signifies the 21 anniversary of the passage of this vital bill that protects and affirms the equality and inclusion of all American citizens with disabilities. City staffer John Wilkins accepted the proclamation in the absence of the City’s ADA coordinator, saying “the City is committed to the advancement of the principle of ADA.”
Over the past few years, the City has made great strides in making this historic community – built long before any ADA considerations – accessible to the disabled. All of the City’s facilities are currently ADA compliant; and staff works closely with local business owners when the undergo renovation to ensure the upgrades are ADA compliant. Much of the City’s ADA compliance improvements can be experienced on our streets, intersections and sidewalks. Even the addition of Flexi pave around the trees in sidewalks makes the city more accessible to the physically challenged. The most recent, and perhaps the most beautiful, addition to the ADA compliant facilities is the newly renovated Martin Luther King Jr. Community Pool
The strides the city’s made have not gone unnoticed. Local residents comment frequently about the ease with which they can navigate the new sidewalks. The City also receives many comments from visitors who are pleased that a city built long before accessibility was an issue is now a joy to get around.
“We continue to work on our list of priorities,” said Wilkins. “Anybody with disabilities, we work hard to accommodate them.”
Vice Mayor Rossi took the opportunity of this anniversary to note that many Americans with disabilities have served in the U.S. Military. On this special occasion, reads the proclamation, “we also want to thank United States service members with disabilities for their patriotism and sacrifice.”
