Local News

Discussion

October 30, 2012

Board: Southeast stadium renovation will make it wheelchair-accessible

By Christopher Smith christophersmith@daltoncitizen.com

As a home crowd watched Southeast Whitfield beat LaFayette on Oct. 5, one student couldn’t find a seat.

There were seats available, but no handicapped-accessible seat for the wheelchair-bound student.

That could change.

“A guest in a wheelchair could not find access to the stands,” Principal Karey Williams said. “(The stadium) has not been renovated since the most recent Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards were put in place. I have spoken directly with the mother about this and we’ve looked into the situation.”

The ADA standards were updated in 2010, but were not required until March 15.

“In stadiums, arenas, and grandstands, wheelchair spaces and companion seats are dispersed to all levels that include seating served by an accessible route,” according to the ADA website. “The design requirements for assembly areas have been revised to provide more specific guidance about the appropriate vertical and horizontal dispersion of accessible seating.”

Williams said she isn’t sure of all the possible additions, but there have been talks about adding wheelchair ramps in the stands.

The Whitfield County Board of Education talked about the project during a work session at Eastbrook Middle School on Monday. The “unexpected project” will renovate the stadium’s seating and bring it up to the new standard, said Richard Schoen, assistant superintendent.

“We met with Sarah Hoskins, director of special education services, who contacted our attorney to see where we legally stood with the seating,” Schoen said. “(Handicap accessibility) turns out to be a legitimate concern. It is an unplanned expense that we will have to deal with.”

The project cost has not be set, but the board will work the price into its Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST) budget.

Schoen will meet with Buckley and Associates, the school’s architect firm, to discuss the changes this week.

“The stadium simply hasn’t been updated for handicapped access,” he said. “In general, you’re supposed to make sure it is up to standards when you renovate or begin building. We haven’t renovated that stadium so it’s never happened. But we had a visitor who was unable to be accommodated or move as freely in the stands as they wanted.”

Schoen said the board will know more details after he speaks with the architect about the specific renovations and costs.

Text Only
AP Video
Raw: Jurors Deadlock on Jodi Arias Penalty Boy Scouts Decision "First Step" Say Activists Raw: Utah Teen Arrested in Death of His Brothers Closer Look at Okla. School Where Children Died Two Suspects in Murder Known to London Police Boy Scouts Mom Supports Gay Inclusiveness "Be Ready": NOAA Warns of Busy Hurricane Season SeaWorld: Penguins Are Coolest Thing in Florida Obama Renews Call to Close Gitmo Obama Offers Drone Strike Defense Raw: Heckler Interrupts Obama on Guantanamo A Slice of Apple History Up for Grabs
Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com