This article came from the Daily SouthtownDisabled advocacy group targets hospital
Wednesday, August 4, 2004
By Stephanie Gehring
Staff writer
A group that wants to increase accessibility for people with disabilities is targeting Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park.And village officials say it could spark a communitywide review of parking spaces in Evergreen Park.
Linda Stearns with the Unified Voice of Disabled America sent a complaint to the village and to the hospital about the number of handicapped accessible parking spaces at Little Company of Mary Hospital, 2800 W. 95th St.
Stearns said she visited the hospital on Easter and could not find a parking space wide enough to accommodate the wheelchair lift she uses.
Stearns, who has multiple sclerosis, said the majority of the hospital's handicapped spaces are not wide enough.
"They should all be wide enough to have a lift," Stearns said. "We're trying to get handicapped accessibility issues enforced and get them right."
Mayor James Sexton said he would encourage all businesses to comply with the law.
"We're going to be checking all handicapped spots in Evergreen Park to make sure they're properly striped, wide enough and have proper signage," Sexton said.
Stearns said the group previously targeted Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and the village of Oak Lawn.
Evergreen Park Building Commissioner Ed Clohessy said building inspectors were at the hospital Monday and Tuesday to survey the hospital's 1,241 parking spaces.
Kelly Wood, a hospital spokeswoman, said Little Company has worked quickly to respond to the group's complaint.
"Legally, we were compliant, but we agreed with them that we had to make a change. We had to increase our accessibility for our patients," Wood said.
The hospital is adding three van-accessible spots — one in the east lot, one north of the main entrance and one in the lot for the emergency room, Wood said.
The three spaces will bring the hospital's number of van-accessible spaces to seven, Wood said.
Stearns said van spaces will accommodate a lift, but she contends all of the hospital's handicapped spaces should be 16 feet wide.
The hospital did not keep up with handicapped parking as it changed its campus, Stearns said.
If the government doesn't enforce the matter, these problems often go unchecked, Stearns said.
Wood said the hospital is cooperating with village officials.
In her letter to the village, Stearns said she wants the village to be accountable for the hospital's shortcomings.
Saying the village had no control over private property, Trustee Norbert Smith objected to what he called "this sharp thumb in our eye."
Stephanie Gehring may be reached at sgehring@dailysouthtown.com or (708) 633-5971.