Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier, who uses a wheelchair, wants city dais made accessible. Critics say expense can’t be justified

From the Los Angeles Times

San Francisco Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier has promised to sue the city over its decision, in a 6-5 board vote, to reject plans to build a wheelchair ramp to the podium in its board chambers. Board opponents criticized the project’s pricetag, which they estimated at $1.1 million, and said the money “could be better spent on other services, rather than the benefit of a single politician.”

Alioto-Pier is the first supervisor to use a wheelchair, the result of a childhood skiing accident. She is a vocal advocate for city residents with disabilities, and has worked to make elections accessible.

Alioto-Pier, who is supported by Mayor Gavin Newsom and disability activists, said the 10-foot ramp’s actual cost would be about $100,000, plus $40,000 more for a railing — a fraction of her opponents’ claim. The rest of the $1.1-million price tag would include other upgrades.

What message, Alioto-Pier asked, does it send the disabled when the city’s highest perch of power is inaccessible to someone in a wheelchair?
… Newsom chastised supervisors for requiring businesses to conform to state and federal disability access laws but acting as though they can ignore the laws themselves.

“This is demeaning to Michela and other disabled residents and I’m saddened by it,” he said. “Believe me, this ramp will be built.”

This entry was posted on Monday, March 17th, 2008 at 8:06 am and is filed under ADA, accessibility, disabilities, politics, wheelchair. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post