In a recent letter to the National Park Service, United Spinal Association (USA) requested that it provide wheelchair users safe and lawful access to the Statue of Liberty.
USA President and CEO James Weisman, who wrote the letter, highlighted several dangerous problems regarding wheelchair accessibility on the ferry that transports visitors to the statue.
These problems include transition plates and ramps that are at an unlawful slope, gangways that are too narrow with unlawful handrails, and restrooms that are inaccessible and unusable, according to a media release from USA.
“Access to the ferry should be standard, not ‘created’ with an operational solution every time wheelchair users attempt to board and disembark,” wrote Weisman, who also drafted significant portions of the transportation section of the Americans with Disabilities Act, per the release.
An estimated 4.2 million people from around the world visit the Statue of Liberty every year, the release notes.
For more information, visit United Spinal Association.
[Source(s): United Spinal Association, PR Newswire]
