Tim Davis, County Executive Patrick A. McGrath, Director County of Summit Department of Human Services Disabled Citizens Program "Making A Difference" Deval Patrick, 3/31/95 Assistant Attorney General Civil Rights Division Department of Justice P.O. Box 66738 Washington, D.C. 20035-6738 Dear Mr. Patrick, First I want to congratulate you on the fine job you did speaking at the Cleveland City Club Form. I was fortunate to be able to sit in on that meeting. I have also read an ar- ticle in the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund News (DREDF) where you were the keynote speaker on Nov. 10, 1994 at their fifteenth year celebration. With your background in civil rights for all people I feel confident that we have the right person as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. There is also another reason for me contacting you and requesting your guidance and help in resolving an issue that is of major concern to me and many of other people with lim- ited mobility in keeping their independence. The ability to drive yourself to work, to go shopping, travel, and/or other activities that we do everyday, is a ne- -cessity that people have long depended on. Just look at the number of cars & trucks on the highways. However this activ- ity is slowly being taken away from many of us who can no longer buy gas without having someone with us that is able bodied. More and more gas stations around the country are becom- ing "Self-Service" only gas stations. Just ask your friends that have disabilities how difficult it is to get gas today. This means that if we do need to get gas, we have to find a gas station with at least one full service pump. The trend by the oil companies is to eliminate "Full-Service" altogether, in order to save money. This is taking the opportunity of living independently and keeping a job next to impossible. I have been working on this problem for over a year now, asking and getting support from other disability groups but we need to do more. I wrote a letter to Janet Reno, who is suppose to be in charge of the DOJ, pointing out the problem we are having. I received a response that is like receiving no answer at all (enclosed). I have also written to many of our Congressmen and Senators, as well as President Clinton, and have received letters that amount to a pat on the head and nothing else in the way of what actions could be taken to overcome this discriminatory policy that the oil companies have in place towards people with limited mobility. 47 N. Main Street. 2-148 Akron Ohio 44308 phone: (216) 643-7257 Many of our senior citizens have also told me they too are having a hard time pumping gas because of limited strength and problems with mobility and/or dexterity that they have because of their age and changes in their bodies. I am hoping that with your help and guidance, and that of the members of other disability organizations, we might find a solution to this problem. Perhaps we need to file a class action suite against a major oil company to have them change their policies so people have a choice between Self-Service or Full-Service at their stations. At one time this was available, but few stations, as I pointed out be- fore, still offer this option. I know that the oil industries have a number of lobbyist on Capitol Hill, which will make this a difficult task, to say the least. I feel that they believe they are above the law and that the principals and policies of the Americans With Disabilities Act does not include them or their gas sta- tions. Enclosed is a copy one of the articles that I had in our "Newsletter" that went out to over 3,000 people and organiza- tions that work for the benefit of people with disabilities. Also a copy of a letter I sent to the local Newspapers, from which I got a number of phone calls thanking me for putting into words what they were also facing with this discrimina- tory policy. I am also writing a letter to Marilyn Golden at DREDF and ask for her opinions and ideas concerning this matter. I hope I get more of a response from you than what I got from Merrily A. Friedlander, Acting Chief Coordinator and Review Section, Civil Rights Division. Someone at DOJ has to step up and take charge of situations that threaten the very intent of the Disability Rights Laws that have been passed to help protect people with disabilities and afford them equal op- portunities in this Country. Thank you for taking time to read this and also for any help and guidance you might be able to give me as I continue to fight for the rights of people with disabilities. I'm looking forward to hearing from you in regards to this mat- ter. Respectfully Submitted, Robert L. Kuiken, Administrative Assistant Summit County's Disabled Citizens Program 47 North Main Street, 2-148 Akron, Ohio 44308-1991 (216) 643-7364 / Fax (216) 643-7742 01-03871