Roanoke is fortunate and blessed to once again be honored as an “All-American City,” an honor that neither myself nor others believe we deserve at this time.
The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990. I’ve been involved with the act ever since it was passed. Before moving back to Roanoke in 1996, I served on the Alexandria Commission on Disabilities. We were so active and progressive at the time that we were invited to the White House for the fourth anniversary of the act. I was able to bring my experience and expertise to the table as chairman of the Alexandria Fair Housing Commission.
The city of Roanoke, with our great potential, is still light years behind when it comes to ADA issues and there are many negative issues that affect people with disabilities, including myself and the elderly.
One of the most egregious problems is the lack of seating throughout the city and in city businesses. Amtrak came back here in 2017. There were no seats on the platform and I wrote about it to the paper, the city and Amtrak. They eventually got 4 benches that seated about 3 people each. I took the train on April 30th. I arrived at the station at 5:30 and was surprised at how many people were there. There must have been at least 50 or more.
Anyone else reading this…
I have to sit down because the metal instruments are stabbing me in the back and hurting. Someone had their luggage take up the seat so they moved it for me. It is completely inhumane that they don’t provide enough seats in this transportation hub in Southwest Virginia. I also think it is inhumane that they don’t have portable toilets. Can you imagine an airport with no seats and no toilets? I was forced to join the homeless who were relieving themselves in the empty garage there.
“We have large events and festivals that bring thousands of people downtown, like the recent Local Colors Festival, but there’s no place to sit. Look at our amazing greenways, which barely have park benches. People in wheelchairs don’t come downtown because outdoor dining is so popular that the sidewalks are impassable.”
This situation is an utter disgrace for any city in America, and a disgrace to the city’s decades of leadership.
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