WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced an agreement with the city of Niagara Falls, N.Y., to improve access to all aspects of civic life for persons with disabilities. The agreement was reached under the Department’s Project Civic Access initiative to bring state and local governments into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This agreement is the 164th under Project Civic Access.
"Officials in Niagara Falls recognize that civic access is a civil right, and I applaud them for working to ensure that all citizens, including individuals with disabilities, can enjoy one of America’s most treasured and visited landmarks," said Loretta King, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "This agreement helps mark the 19th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and we are pleased to take this major step forward in our mission to improve accessibility nationwide."
Under the agreement announced today, the city of Niagara Falls will take several steps to improve access for persons with disabilities, including:
Project Civic Access was initiated to ensure that persons with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in civic life. As part of the project, Justice Department investigators, attorneys and architects conduct on-site surveys of state and local government programs and facilities for the purpose of identifying modifications needed for compliance with ADA requirements. The agreements contain a plan setting out the specific steps a community will take to improve access for persons with disabilities.
People interested in finding out more about the ADA, today’s agreement with the city of Niagara Falls or the Department’s Project Civic Access initiative may find this information on the ADA Web site at http://www.ada.gov or may call the toll-free ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TTY).