FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	CR

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 1998                                                                                                                             (202) 616-2777

                                                                                                                                                                                TDD (202) 514-1888




NORFOLK, VIRGINIA ARENA TO BECOME ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE WITH


DISABILITIES UNDER AGREEMENT WITH JUSTICE DEPARTMENT





	WASHINGTON, D.C. --  SCOPE Arena in Norfolk, Virginia, will
become accessible to persons who use wheelchairs, under an
agreement reached with the Justice Department.

	The agreement, reached late Friday, requires the city of
Norfolk, which owns and operates SCOPE Arena, to make several
alterations to the arena so it is accessible to people who use
wheelchairs.  The city has agreed to complete the alterations by
April 1998.  SCOPE Arena is a venue housing hockey, basketball,
circus, and concert events.

	"A sports fan or concert-goer should be able to cheer on their
favorite team even if they happen to have a disability," said Bill
Lann Lee, Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. 
"This agreement will make that possible."

	The Justice Department began looking into the accessibility of
the arena after receiving a complaint from a Virginia resident. 
The complaint alleged that SCOPE Arena violated the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) because it lacked sufficient seating to
accommodate people who used wheelchairs.  The Justice Department's
investigation revealed that other areas of the stadium were
inaccessible, as well.

 	Under the agreement, Norfolk will:

		provide accessible seats and companion seats around the
seating bowl of the stadium;




		provide fully accessible parking;




		modify floor surfaces, ticket counters, ramps, and stairs
to be accessible to people with disabilities;




		make accessible all public toilet rooms in the arena;




		provide sufficient numbers of accessible floor seating
available whenever floor seating is utilized for stadium
events;




		advertise the availability of accessible seats;




		modify ticketing policies so that accessible seats and
companion seats will not be sold to non-disabled persons
until all non-accessible seating is sold out or until
5:00 p.m. the day before the event; and,




		hold the seats in front of the accessible seating area
until all other seats are sold out, in order to provide
persons using wheelchairs a line of sight over those
sitting in front of the accessible seating area.




	The city will notify the Department after all modifications
have been completed, which is to occur no later than April 27.

	The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in
employment, public services, and public accommodations.  Under
title II of the law, State and local governments must operate each
service, program, or activity in such a way as to make them
accessible to people with disabilities.

	Individuals interested in finding out more about the ADA can
access the Department's ADA home page on the World Wide Web at
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahoml.htm or call the ADA
information line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TTY).

	Last year, President Clinton participated in a radio public
service announcement advertising the toll free hotline.

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