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JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES AGREEMENTS REACHED WITH

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Justice Department today announced agreements with six communities that will improve access for people with disabilities to all aspects of civic life, including city and town halls, courthouses, libraries, polling places, police stations, and parks.

As part of his New Freedom Initiative, President George W. Bush announced a federal commitment to ensure that polling places are accessible to all Americans, with or without disabilities. Today's announcement is part of the Department's Project Civic Access initiative, a wide-ranging effort to ensure that state facilities, counties, cities, towns, and villages comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Investigators have surveyed state and local government facilities and programs across the country for the purpose of negotiating modifications needed to comply with ADA requirements. This action is accompanied by the distribution of two user-friendly guides for cities and towns explaining how to ensure equal access to their programs, services, and activities for people with disabilities.

"Access to civic life is a fundamental part of American society," said Attorney General John Ashcroft. "I am committed to helping cities, towns, and villages comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act by eliminating the physical and communication barriers that prevent people with disabilities from participating fully in their communities."

The six settlements announced today cover the programs of two Departments of the District of Columbia government and programs in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan; Bowie, Maryland; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Guanica, Puerto Rico; and Fajardo, Puerto Rico. The Department now has secured 28 settlement agreements under the Project which consisted of reviews of 55 localities and states. The Department continues to work on the remaining 27 investigations, most of which are expected to be resolved with voluntary settlements.

Depending on the circumstances in each community, the agreements address specific areas where access can be improved. For instance, the agreements require certain communities to:

• improve access at city and town halls; police and fire stations; courthouses; employment services offices; senior activities centers; convention centers; libraries; museums; sports facilities; golf course club houses; parks; pools; and skating and skateboard rinks;

• alter polling places or provide curbside or absentee balloting;

• install TTY equipment for 9-1-1 emergency services, and for offices that receive calls from the public or provide information to the public by telephone, for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech impairments;

• install assistive listening systems in courtrooms, municipal auditoriums, and conference rooms;

• provide delivery systems and time frames for providing auxiliary aids, including sign language interpreters and materials in Braille, large print, or on cassette tapes; and

• establish grievance procedures for resolving complaints of violations of title II of the ADA.