Resident Files Grievance Over Library Accessibility

By Steve Bigham

Newtown resident Wendy Beres this week filed a formal grievance against the town regarding the main entrance to the Cyrenius H. Booth Library.

Mrs Beres, who has been a watchdog for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), sent a letter on Monday to Tom Paternoster, the town’s ADA coordinator.

“On August 23, 2000 I was attending an interview with a subcommittee of the Legislative Council,” she wrote. “When I came out of the interview at about 8:15 pm and proceeded to try to get to the handicapped parking, I found the only accessible door was not only locked, but ropes or tape was covering the area of the door.”

Mrs Beres, who said she had received a cortisone shot that day, claimed she was in a great deal of pain. “I had to go down a large staircase and then walk around the building and uphill in order to get to my car parked in the handicapped parking space,” she said.

Mrs Beres called it a direct slap in the face of the ADA requirements and the Justice Department.

She called library officials “most uncooperative” during the addition project at the building. The fact that they now lock the only accessible door when the library officially closes – even though government meetings may be going on – suggests that they have no concern for any disabled person, she said.

Mrs Beres requested a full apology from the library along with a new policy that the only accessible door will never be locked if people are using the library building for meetings.

Library Director Janet Woycik said she received Mrs Beres’ complaint and has already responded.

“We have written her a letter expressing the fact that we are sorry for any inconvenience and letting her know that from now on at public meetings an electric door will be open,” Mrs Woycik said.