ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, October 11, 1996 TAG: 9610110058
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: Associated Press
The Justice Department accused the nation's largest architectural firm in a lawsuit Thursday of designing sports arenas inaccessible to the handicapped in six cities.
Ellerbe Beckett Inc., based in Minneapolis, was accused of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act in its designs of arenas in Boston, Buffalo, N.Y., Cleveland, Philadelphia, Portland, Ore., and the District of Columbia.
The areas fail to provide handicapped spectators with playing-field views that are comparable to those enjoyed by other spectators, according to the suit filed in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis.
``People who use wheelchairs who pay to see sports events ought to be able to see their team score a basket or a goal rather than just the backs of other spectators,'' said Deval Patrick, the Justice Department's assistant U.S. attorney general for civil rights. ``Anything less is hardly comparable to what non-disabled fans enjoy.''
Beckett would not comment until the firm finished reviewing the suit, company spokeswoman Lisa Haller said.
``I can tell you that Ellerbe Beckett does comply with the requirements of the ADA in all our facilities,'' she said.
The Justice Department said the suit was filed after eight months of negotiations failed to produce a settlement.
The disabilities law requires stadiums to set aside at least 1 percent of all seats for wheelchair users. The seats must be distributed through a stadium and provide lines of sight comparable to those of other spectators.
The suit seeks a fine and an order that the firm to stop designing arenas in violation of the law.
Advocates of the handicapped also have filed suits in Boston, Philadelphia, Portland, Buffalo and the District of Columbia.
The arenas in question are Boston's Fleet Center, the Rose Garden in Portland, the Corestates Center in Philadelphia, the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Buffalo's Marine Midland Arena and the MCI Center in the District of Columbia.
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