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Access for those whose mobility has been reduced by arthritis, heart condition and other infirmities of age is especially important in a county like Rappahannock where one out of every six residents is over 60, noted Mr. Abell.
Federal and state standards do not mandate structural alterations, just accessibility, Mr. Reynolds pointed out. But if the courthouse cannot be made accessible without alterations and if the building is of such historical significance that the supervisors don’t want to make changes, “then you need to hold your meetings somewhere else and make this courthouse a private museum,” Mr. Reynolds maintained.
As to the cost of remodeling to remove barriers to the handicapped, “economic distress to the governing body is not a real consideration in making programs accessible, just in what method you use to make them accessible,” the lawyer said. He offered to supply the supervisors with names of architects experienced in alterations to provide handicapped accessibility.
“I became concerned with this issue this past winter when I tried to attend a meeting at the library,” said Mr. Abell, who was confined to a wheelchair by polio in 1944. “The only two people available to help me were a man with a heart condition and a man with cancer. It’s unfair to expect such persons to have to assist me. Furthermore, they both may need help in getting into the library themselves some day.”
The retired history teacher said that historic preservation was “never intended to be used as a means of denying handicapped access.” He challenged the board’s estimates of $65,000 for installation of an elevator and $35,000 for a chair lift, saying that architects familiar with handicapped design and historic renovation were not consulted. But if projections from experts confirm that renovation to eliminate the courthouse’s handicapped barriers is too costly to be feasible, then public meetings should be held in alternative, accessible locations, Mr. Abell concluded.
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