Yesterday afternoon, a group of thirteen energetic, fifth-grade girl scouts and their Troop Leader, Pam Banks, gathered at Ridgefield Town Hall to attend a Commission for the Disabled meeting.
The girls were on a quest for answers: why can’t their fellow girl scout enter some of her favorite local shops and restaurants with her wheelchair?
“The girls have a fellow scout who is confined to her wheelchair and is having huge issues navigating in town they wanted to know why,” explains Commission for the Disabled committee member, Christine Santori.
“Their question to the committee was If we have an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) why is there no compliance?”
The girls sat at the edge of their metal chairs inside the large conference room of Town Hall asking thought-provoking questions to the Commission. The members listened intently and Don Ciota, Commission of the Disabled Chairperson, answered many of them in great detail.
“Why doesn’t the Toy Chest have a ramp,” one scout asked. Another said, “Dina can’t sit at a booth in Planet Pizza.”
"What if a door is not wide enough?” one scout asked.
The girls listened carefully as Ciota explained Title III of the ADA which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in the activities of places of public accommodations. “It’s important to start with community dialogue, which is why you are here today,” he told their girls, commending them on bringing their concerns to the Commission.
Ciota suggested the group write a letter to the store owner and the landlord asking them to make their property accessible. “You need to start at the local level,” he said. “And, it’s always best to ask that they provide you an answer within a period of time - ask them if they can provide you an answer in two weeks”.
Ciota explained that ADA compliant law is only triggered if someone makes a complaint. “If the complaint can’t be resolved locally, you can bring to the dept of justice. If Department of Justice comes in, there is a lot that they can do.”
Ciota asked the girls if they had access to a computer and suggested they go to ADA.org and search under “enforcement” in order for them to gather additional information.
The girls were assured that their voices were heard. “Being here shows you have awareness and empathy,” said Ciota. “We will bring this to the Board of Selectman,” he added.