“Over and Over again we told them, and they still don’t want to listen” said Claude Holcomb to Richard Nelson of Queers Without Borders. Claude is the founder of ADAPT CT, an organization that has been working for 7 months attempting to get the city of Hartford and the Hartford Public Library to fix a big mistake: The city of Hartford spent $42 Million on expansion and renovation of the main library. A state of the art expansion where they even put in a fine new ramp to get from street level up to the entrance ~ but guess what? They forgot to make the doors accessible for people in wheel chairs. No button. No automatic door opener. Claude told Queers Without Borders that in researching this issue, that the cost of a button and automatic door is around $2,000 dollars. Not very much at all. Yet the city says that they can’t put in a button because the door is glass (an engineering conundrum?, we don’t think so). To add insult to injury, those needing accessible access are being told: “Go around to the back, that’s accessible.” Makes sense, beautiful front door for everyone (oops, unless of course you happen to be in a wheelchair!) All are welcomed to come to the meeting on May 23rd at 4:30 pm. The meeting will be held at 24 Park Place which is Park Place Towers, the 2nd building from the street. After reading this blog entry, we encourage you to contact Susan McMullen City of Hartford Director of Constituent Services (757-9525) and express your outrage at this clear violation of making all City space fully welcoming and accessible to all peoples. Separate but equal access cannot be tolerated. Updates from Richard Nelson, Queers without Borders I met with Claude Holcomb of ADAPT yesterday about the accessibility issue with the front doors of the Hartford Public Library. He told me the city is still stalling and giving him the run-a-round. They have come back to on several occasions with “to use the entrance in the back.” When I went to talk with Sue Mc Cullen in Constituent Services at City Hall she suggested about the same thing. According to Claude they think they are protected by the National ADA law but not by Connecticut law. I gather since they do have an entrance in the back on a side street that is why they think they are protected. They also are saying that it would cost $250,000 $25,000 [see comments] to put in a sliding door that is automatic. Claude is only requesting they put in a push button which would cost in his estimate $2,000. They claim that a push button will not work on one of the glass side doors which I know is bull because we have them on glass doors where I work. * Yesterday I left a message with Sue at Constituent Services and another one this am asking her for a update from that side. She talks a good run-around-talk. Try her out. * I am bothered by the fact that in the construction of the new front of the library they built a ramp to get up on the patio but then the people in chairs can not get in the front doors and have been told that the handicap entrance is in the back. * I am bothered by the fact that anyone would tell anyone to go to the back doors. * I am bothered by the fact that Claude has been on this for 7 months and they still are giving him the run-a-round. They told him that he is the only person complaining and some of the commissioners on the Disability Commission see nothing wrong with going around to the back. Claude has asked anyone who can and is willing to complain. * I am bothered by the fact that as was stated to me “the handicap entrance was put where it is so its near to the parking lot so it would be more convenient.” They seem to forget that a lot of people who are in wheel chairs do not drive but take the bus. * Claude has called for a meeting of all interested people. It will be held on Friday May 23 at 4:30. It will be at Park Place Towers in the second building from the street. Claude and his partner Juliet live in the building and can get the community room. He has also asked that all concerned people check out the doors and then file a complaint with the city. He has also asked that when you do please note what is told to you. Please pass along this message. Claude has also given the city until May 30 to respond in a manner that is acceptable. If not he is asking people to gather in front of the Library at 12:00 noon. Claude will then attempt to lock down the revolving door by wedging his chair in a section. He has asked that others come in support of this action and to join in any way possible. He has asked me to publicize this action and to ask for your support. * Claude has long been a fighting hard activist in the disability community. It is because of Claude, Steve Thorton, John Bach and several others that we have curb cuts in our sidewalks. Those gallant guys took a sledge hammer to the curbs one day and the rest is our collective history of resistance demanding justice and accessibility for all. * Please let me know your thoughts on this and if you can make the meeting or the action wonderful. Let everyone else know who might want to come out against this nonsense. * Also let us know if you contact the city and what they told you. * Thanks Richard Nelson, Queers Without Borders, Hartford Ct. * **Today, May 14th, is the 3rd time I have left a message for Susan MC Cullen in Constituent Services. I just found out her direct line . She can be reached at 757-9525. Another contact in the same office is Evelyn Mantilla at 757-9524. Evelyn is a member of the LGBT community. *** **May 15, 2008 UPDATE. Today I listened to a message from Evelyn Mantilla who is Constituent Services. Evelyn told me that the Mayor was in full support of the issue that Claude Holcomb has brought up. He has sent a work order to Public Works to fix the problem. She didn’t give me a time frame of when this job was to start and when we can expect that all can enter the Public Library by the front doors. I have contacted her by e-mail asking for this information in writing. When and if we get it I will publish it here and bring this information to the meeting on the 23rd. * Also today I received a call back from Larry Deutsch of the Working Families Party. Larry was very supportive of this issue and will find out all that he can from inside city hall. He also will be attending the meeting on the 23rd. I also mentioned the problems we were having last winter to get some of the corporations and the city to clean the bus stops of snow piles. Larry wants to work on this within the council to either pass a ordinance or strengthen the one we have. I asked him to please inform Luis Cotto who also is from the Working Families Party on the city council a #1 activist and good friend of all in and a member of the Progressive Communities. * Claude Holcomb will be e-mailing me with a response that he got from Susan Mc Mullen in Constituent Services. Susan called me yesterday and told me about the same thing that Evelyn told me. But she mentioned a problem with the glass walls. Easy remedy. Put the push button on a stand up pole like we have seen in many places. Susan could not tell me a start date or finish date for the project just that there was other work to be done out front and they would do it at the same time. * When and if anyone calls the city please either put the response, your ideas, in the comment section of this posting. If you are coming to the meeting please bring this information along. * May 18th. * Claude e-mailed me today and will have a report to present at the meeting concerning the history, demands, goals and what has been told to him. See you all there. Going on a short vacation.

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