Local Advocacy Group Reinforces the Importance of Access to Public Accomdations

(Camp Hill, Pa.) – Accessible Communities Today (ACT), a local grassroots advocacy group came together with the Center for Independent Living of Central PA (CILCP) today, June 13, 2008 to call attention to the lack of accessibility at Simply Turkey & More, located at 32 Erford Road in Camp Hill, PA. In addition to protesting the ADA violations at Simply Turkey & More, they hope to educate businesses and property owners, as well as the general public on the importance and need for public accommodations to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil rights law, signed into action July 26, 1990 by President George H.W. Bush. It guarantees the right of people with disabilities to receive equal access to employment, transportation, public services, public accommodations and telecommunications.

According to ADA, places frequented by the public such as (but not limited to) restaurants, hotels, theaters, doctors’ offices, pharmacies, retail stores, museums, libraries, parks, private schools and day care centers are examples of public accommodations.

According to the civil rights law, Simply Turkey & More must provide equal access, as they are a public accommodation. It was discovered in February 2008 by Ed Shelly of New Cumberland, PA that Simply Turkey & More is not accessible for individuals with disabilities, and more specifically for individuals in wheelchairs.

“I haven’t been in a wheelchair all of my life. I know firsthand that until you experience having a disability, you don’t know what it’s like or what barriers you may face. This is why our group works to educate the community, but if there’s no action taken in fixing the issues, then we keep moving forward to make it happen,” stated Ed Shelly.

After Ed’s visit to the restaurant in February 2008, CILCP met with Simply Turkey & More and provided information regarding the changes that are needed to make the restaurant accessible. This one-on-one meeting was followed up by a letter. The business agreed to make the required changes by April 2008.

Since no action has yet been taken to eliminate the barriers, CILCP and ACT is demanding a meeting with the building owner and the business owner; a detailed plan, outlining what the restaurant will do to become accessible; and progress reports; with the goal of allowing all people with disabilities to enter the site safely and dine.

“Our goal today was to not keep customers away, but to inform and educate businesses, such as Simply Turkey & More that the Americans with Disabilities Act is a civil rights law. Over 82,000 people in the counties we serve (Cumberland, Dauphin, Perry, Juniata and Mifflin) have a disability. We want to make sure we are advocating and working to serve all of these individuals. The Center for Independent Living can help any business or facility manager who has questions about accessibility. We provide trainings or on-site visits to educate businesses on what they need to do to be accessible. We want to work with the communities in making sure they comply with ADA,” stated Theotis Braddy, Executive Director of CILCP.

After today’s rally, Simply Turkey & More was notified that a formal complaint was filed with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. Until documentation is provided by Simply Turkey & More, showing their steps to remove the barriers, the group will continue to protest.

The Simply Turkey & More rally is one of many to come this summer. ACT’s plans for the future are to continue educating, but also target those businesses that have consistently violated the rights of people with disabilities. The first course of action is always to educate the business or organization through a one-on-one meeting, or via a written letter. However, if the business does not make an effort to make the facility compliant, ACT and CILCP will take further action.

CILCP assists individuals in developing self-advocacy skills to uphold their rights under the ADA and other civil rights laws. CILCP provides a number of advocacy programs including local systems advocacy, statewide advocacy, and individual advocacy. The local systems advocacy involves the formation of local consumer groups to work on disability issues that are of concern to them. CILCP advises and assists people with disabilities to eliminate practices and barriers that prohibit access and inclusion in the community.

About ACT

In an effort to ensure the civil rights law is enforced in communities, Accessible Communities Today was formed in 1992 as a grassroots coalition advocating for changes that affect the community.  ACT works with a community organizer of CILCP to address issues including curb cuts; accessibility of restaurants, restrooms, public buildings; and, availability of housing and transportation.

About CILCP

The Center for Independent Living of Central Pennsylvania is a nonprofit, nonresidential organization established for and by people with disabilities and serves Cumberland, Dauphin, Perry, Mifflin and Juniata counties. CILCP’s vision is to empower people with disabilities to fully participate in all aspects of society. For more information on the CILCP visit www.cilcp.org, and for more information regarding the press release please contact Megan Kurtz (Megan@TheSuasionWay.com) or 717.432.2468.

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