BUTTE - For most of us, climbing these two steps it’s no problem. But for someone with a disability, it can be as challenging as trying to climb across the East Ridge. That’s why the county released a report recently that addresses accessibility issues to public buildings and sidewalks.
“ I’m glad the county is making these steps. This was supposed to happen 28 years ago, before I was born, and now it’s happening.” Lucy Galarus, a Butte resident who lives with a disability, said.
Butte-Silver Bow tackles accessibility challenges in public spaces - See what the new audit reveals and how you can get involved
An access audit and transition plan was done by the WT Group on behalf of Butte-Silver Bow to examine county buildings and sidewalks to make sure they are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“We really appreciate that Butte-Silver Bow took very seriously that we’ve got some accessibility concerns here and how do we bring them up where we need them to be,” Ability Montana Public Policy Coordinator Cassie Wick said.
The report concludes that the Butte officials should make access retrofits to buildings a high priority to show the Department of Justice good faith. The report is a good start for some with disabilities.
“We can’t fix them all at once, and we realize that, so it’s going to be a matter of actually listening to constituents and realizing the areas to fix that are the most important,” Galarus said.
Public comments on this issue can be made at the Butte-Silver Bow Website, and a public hearing will be held Dec, 10 at 7:30 in the evening in Council Chambers on the third floor of the courthouse.
According to Wick, the report is very thorough.
“The inventoried everything. They went to every sidewalk, every venue, they spent time at the Original Mine Yard, looking at every piece of that, so wherever we live, work, and play in Butte-Silver Bow will be covered in this document,” Wick said.
