From the Wichita Falls, Texas, TimesRecordNews and KAUZ TV (CBS affiliate in Wichita Falls):

A federal judge has ruled that the Wichita County Heritage Society showed “studied indifference” to the ADA when it refused to let a little girl come into a historic home for a visit with Santa Claus.

Kaelei Kennedy, who was then six years old, had gone with her family to see Santa at the Kell House in 2004. She was told that she could not come inside in her wheelchair and that Santa could not come out.

The suit claimed Howard Morris, executive director of the society at the time, told the family the Kell House was exempt from ADA requirements and could not put a wheelchair ramp on grounds because of cost. It also alleged Kell House employees told the family Morris did not want a wheelchair in the house because objects might get broken.

Wayne Krause, the Texas Civil Rights Project attorney representing the Kennedy family, said the ruling marks the first time a federal court has ordered the owner of a registered historic building to eliminate architectural barriers to people who use wheelchairs.

(KAUZ photo.)

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 26th, 2008 at 7:19 am and is filed under ADA, NOT2BEMISSED, accessibility, history, 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