Y.E.A.!
Young Endependent Advocates
6300 E. Virginia Beach Blvd.
4/23/07
Dear SHRDSB,
Mary Lopez
emailed Catherine McManus a few weeks ago. Catherine helps with the Y.E.A.!
Group. The Y.EA.! Disability Advocacy Group is curious if the South Hampton
Roads Disability Services Board would help us address the Virginia Beach
Amphitheater. We’ve been having problems with them since 2002. The amphitheater
is not fully accessible to people with disabilities. We have written letters,
met with amphitheater heads and participated in a peaceful protest in hopes
thing’s will change. We have posted our progress on our website posted above.
Maybe if the Y.E.A.! Group could find help with presenting them with ideas to
solve problem, better progress can be made. Below are two ideas we hope they
use to comply with Title III of the ADA.
These are
two ideas we hope the South Hampton Roads Disability Services Board can purpose
to the heads of the Virginia Beach Amphitheater:
Can the Virginia Beach Amphitheater cut to the slope in one
area of the lawn seating to make it accessible to people with disabilities?
Amphitheater officials have said the slope is too steep and dangerous to people
with disabilities. The lawn section holds more people than any other section in
the venue. Why isn’t it accessible? Can they accommodate an area of the lawn
for 5 or 6 wheelchairs? The new spot would allow people who use scooters and
walkers as well.
Can the Virginia Beach Amphitheater elevate the existing
disabled seating area by a few inches?
Currently, the disabled section is not high enough for people sitting in
wheelchairs to see over people standing in front of them.
Thank you,
The
Y.E.A.! Group