10. PRSR 04-09-2003 - Laserfiche WebLink

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BROOKLYN PARK Wheelchair user's suit over parks is resolved BY HANNAH ALLAM - Pioneer Press "With things like this, unless A mother who sued the city of Brook- you get in someone's face and lyn Park for not providing wheelchair- accessible public facilities so she could insist they make changes, watch her son play sports announced an $85,000 settlement Monday that includes they won't do it." changes at 23 city parks. Patricia Scott filed the suit against the PATRICIA SCOTT / J city and the Brooklyn Park Athletic Mother suing Brooklyn Park i Association in 2001 after growing frus- trated with the obstacles she faced when trying to watch her son Zachary play "I was shocked that they would pay a basketball, baseball, soccer and football consultant thousands of dollars and then 1/4/i 4-- ,- � at public venues, according to court do nothing,"Scott said."The surveys are papers. Scott uses a motorized wheel- good, but let's not put them on the shelf. chair as a result of post-polio syndrome, Let's prioritize and put them to use." C21.--%/i. an effect of surviving polio when she was A League of Minnesota Cities' attor- 1%. ney who represented Brooklyn Park in . " `""° Scott said several parks lack reserved the case was not available for comment, accessible parking areas and curb cuts but a spokeswoman for the organization from the parking lots to the park areas, said the problems identified in internal and few have pathways that she can man- reports were in various stages of age in her wheelchair. She contended progress when the suit was filed. Monday that the city knew about these The settlement calls for more than 60 problems from internal accessibility reports written in 1984 and 1993. PARKS LAWSUIT RESOLVED,5B en — Parks lawsuit resolved it included things they were access. already planning to do as ren- Although Scott's son — ovatins,"Lake ment still needs final surface, it looks slike a Cbroad most lof the spots venu s, (continued) approval from a judge. list of issues,but a lot of those she said,the years of negotia- The city will pay Scott things were already in the tions with the city taught him modifications to 23 parks. $20,000 in damages, $65,000 works." The changes will include for her legal fees and also will Lake emphasized that the the value h othingst like this, creating parking spaces for shoulder the improvement city has long complied with unless you get in someone's people with disabilities, costs.Stephanie Lake,League the Americans with Disabili- face and insist they make accessible paths to ball of Minnesota Cities spokes- ties Act and offers services changes, they won't do it," fields, picnic and play- woman,said she doesn't have such as interpreters for park Scott said. ground areas and installing a cost estimate for the visitors with hearing tot changes. c impair- ! gof lets, said Rick MacPherson, "Some of it's timing, a lot meats and the relocating of Hannah Adam can be reached +Scott's attorney. The settle- of it's small issues and a lot of programs to other parks if a at(651)2 @2172. rpress.coin participant doesn't have full or(s51)22&-2172.