colorado springs set to vastly improve its accessibility infrastructure

More than 15,000 new curb ramps are planned for construction in Colorado Springs in the next decade or so as the result of a lawsuit charging the city with disability negligence.

That suit was filed in the U.S. District Court’s Tenth Circuit by the Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center, which has offices in Denver.

The suit specifically said that the City of Colorado Springs was in violation of federal law requiring that all public streets, sidewalks, and curbs be disability compliant.

In response to an earlier lawsuit making essentially the same charges, Colorado Springs officials last year launched a series of public meetings in the hope of soliciting input on how to best meet accessibility standards.

At the same time, the Colorado Springs City Council approved appropriating some $300,000 to hire staffers specifically charged with documenting which public buildings, streets, sidewalks and curbs in the city are not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

It is thought that it will cost Colorado Springs well in excess of $10 million to address all of its disability infrastructure needs. Funding sources as of yet have not been completely identified.

According to a report published by the Colorado Springs Gazette there are around 24,000 people in the city, our of a total population of 465,000, whose disabilities require them to use walkers, wheel chairs, and other mobility devices.

By Garry Boulard

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