Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Accessibility topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents urge board to fix accessibility barriers at shared municipal building
Summary
Multiple residents told the board the joint town–village building remains inaccessible for people who use wheelchairs and other mobility devices, citing broken lifts, high counters and stair-only routes to services; the board said the issue will be on the joint meeting agenda on the 29th.
Residents who use mobility aids and clinicians pressed the Canton governing body during public comment to fix long-standing accessibility problems at the town–village municipal building. Katrina Deb, who said she has been active in the town for 25 years, described repeated humiliating encounters when trying to obtain a handicapped parking placard and said, “my blood boils because this building is so incredibly inaccessible, and, it’s humiliating.”
Deb told the board she first encountered the building’s barriers five years ago when a counter was above her head and staff told her to go to the police station, which requires climbing stairs. She said staff sometimes sends an officer to retrieve paperwork, forcing people to transact business in a hallway. “I shouldn’t have to go crawling upstairs to attend a board meeting,” Deb said, adding that she has considered litigation if the problem is not addressed.
Other speakers described similar safety and dignity concerns. George Howard said he was once stuck on the building lift for more than two hours and noted the posted 450-pound weight limit is not sufficient for some powered wheelchairs; he said, “that’s 600 pounds I just had to access,” when combining wheelchair and rider weight. Kate Beggarland described the practical impact on her 9-year-old daughter, who uses a wheelchair, and urged an elevator as a long-term solution. Susan Mitchell, a geriatric physical therapist, warned of fall and liability risks and recommended moving handicapped-parking placard processing to a ground-floor counter as a quicker interim fix.
Several commenters offered constructive next steps: consult residents with disabilities when specifying upgrades, consider holding future meetings in accessible locations, and pursue funding or phased improvements. The Chair acknowledged the concerns, said the building is jointly owned by the town and the village and that the issues will be passed along; the board already has the building on the agenda for a joint meeting scheduled for the 29th.
No formal policy or expenditure was adopted at this meeting. Residents and board members signaled willingness to work together on solutions, including volunteer efforts, interim operational fixes and longer-term capital changes such as installing an elevator. The board did not record a formal timeline or funding source for accessibility work during this session.
