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When the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990, proponents knew that it would take time to implement its regulations, particularly regarding the built environment. Historically,  structures, including walkways, were built for nondisabled people; those with mobility limitations and other disabilities were expected to navigate them unsafely or not at all. Disability advocates, including myself, anticipated that ADA-mandated improvements would occur slowly, given the scale of remedies needed.

Fast forward to 2001, when my husband and I bought a home in West Lawrence. Shortly after, a friend and I took a walk to explore the neighborhood. In negotiating a steep curb ramp (more commonly known as  a “curb cut”) to cross the street, my wheelchair hit a bump at the bottom. Suddenly, I found myself bounced out of the chair and sprawled in the street. Fortunately, I was more resilient at that age — no broken bones or other injuries — and I met a new neighbor who helped me back into my chair! 

Several times afterward, the city tried to remedy the dangerous curb ramp, to no avail. It needed to be torn out and reconstructed. Still does. But I understand that the priority for sidewalk and curb ramp repairs has been more widely used areas, such as routes to schools, medical facilities, retail establishments, parks, etc., versus residential areas.

Fast forward again to July 16 of this year, when Lawrence city commissioners approved a 20-year, $103 million ADA Right-of-Way Transition Plan to bring city sidewalks and curb ramps up to compliance. Exciting!

The plan articulates the need for “safe, accessible and usable travel paths in the public right-of-way for all people, including people with disabilities.” In a nod to equity and inclusion, at a time when some are dismissing the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, the plan embraces a “Community for All” approach that is fundamental to the city’s strategic plan, as well as a “Connected City Outcome” that prioritizes an infrastructure that is well maintained and functional. 

Though the plan will take at least 20 years to fully implement, the scale of the project speaks to the need for an incremental approach: 280 out of 400 miles of sidewalks and 4,500 out of 6,500 curb ramps need replacement or repair. The plan will utilize funds from existing infrastructure improvement programs with additional allocations.

I applaud the team of city staff, led by Evan Korynta, ADA compliance administrator, for the considerable work that went into this plan, and our city commissioners who have the courage and foresight to fund it. 

I thank them in memory of or on behalf of:

• My late friend Mary, who sought an accessible path to travel from Babcock Place to South Park in her power wheelchair on a lovely summer day, but never found it.

• My friend Rupert, who avoided the pleasures of downtown Lawrence after getting stuck on the sidewalk that crosses the alley just east of Ninth and Vermont streets and was afraid of being injured.

• My aging peers who are encouraged to walk for health reasons but fear falling due to trip hazards that abound in the city.

• The numbers of young people living now, and in the future, with mobility limitations, who will have increased opportunities to work, recreate, and do what nondisabled people do, because of an improved infrastructure.

For anyone who says that this plan will cost too much money, I quote a colleague from Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association who said this when people complained about the cost of implementing the ADA shortly after it was signed into law: “That’s the cost of doing business in a nation with civil rights.”

Thirty-four years is a long time to wait for a plan, plus 20 more years to implement it — but as we celebrate the July 26 anniversary of the signing of the ADA, let’s also celebrate this considerable effort to make Lawrence safer and more accessible for all!

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