Taking almost two months to renovate an outdoor ramp at the public library is unacceptable, says a patron in a wheelchair.
“My main concern is that people with visual problems and people with wheelchairs have no access, really, to the library,” said Sue Clark-Wittenberg. “I see mothers struggling (with strollers) and my husband has a walker, and it’s very difficult for him to bring the walker down alone.”
Clark-Wittenberg and husband Steven held a protest outside the Carlingwood branch, at Woodroffe Ave. and Saville Row on Saturday.
Patrons were told the ramp would be fixed by the end of May, then June 14.
It remains a fenced-off mess.
The new target date is June 24, “barring any other unforeseen circumstances,” said the library’s acting communications manager, Anna Mould.
She came to the branch and apologized to the couple.
Customers needing help with the stairs can call Carlingwood beforehand, said Mould, and staffers will try to help.
The branch is “extremely popular” and has been receiving complaints on a regular basis since the renovations began, she said.
Instead of closing, “we felt that being able to offer some services would be the best option for all of our customers,” Mould said.
kelly.roche@sunmedia.ca
http://www.ottawasun.com/2013/06/15/couple-throw-the-book-at-em
Kelly Roche - Storyteller 