THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 21, 1996 TAG: 9606210486
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM HOLDEN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 83 lines
By the end of the third concert at the new Virginia Beach Amphitheater, it became clear to the venue's management that the disabled were having problems seeing the shows.
When people stood up to cheer, as they did during the May 18 show with Vince Gill, people in wheelchairs could not see.
There were no signs designating parking for the disabled. Picnic benches were not wheelchair accessible. The amphitheater staff, new and untrained, did not have answers to basic questions about services required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Amphitheater officials agreed something had to be done.
On Thursday, representatives of the amphitheater and the city's department of economic development outlined a series of changes now being made to fix the problems, while also insisting the new park meets all federal codes for the disabled.
But the response from the Endependence Center, a nonprofit advocacy group for the disabled, was a mix of frustration and outright anger at how the planning, construction and issuing of occupancy permits for the $18.5 million park could proceed without input from the disabled community.
``There is simply an unwillingness of the city to recognize and accept what is going on here, and what is going on is this amphitheater is not in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act,'' said Richard DiPeppe, director of community services for the Endependence Center and an authority on the ADA.
His comments came at a special meeting of the Mayor's Committee for the Disabled, which convened at the Virginia Beach Central Library to discuss the problems. The meeting ended with no clear direction as to what will happen next, although the chairman, councilman Robert Dean, assured the disabled present that the problems would be addressed.
Mark R. Wawner, project development manager for the Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development, said the changes under way at the amphitheater were not a tacit admission of noncompliance with ADA.
``We acknowledge that we can fine tune it to make it better for the handicapped,'' Wawner said. ``That's like saying we can turn down the thermostats on the freezers to make the Cokes colder, or putting more staff in the parking lot to make parking quicker.''
``We're doing it to make it a better facility, not to bring it in compliance to the code.''
Mike Tabor, the park's general manager, said the following areas were being addressed:
The seating originally designated for the disabled - primarily those in wheelchairs - was being changed, with 40 new seats added to the orchestra area to give uninterrupted sight lines for those in wheelchairs.
The amphitheater's management then removed existing permanent seating at the front of the Gold Circle area, which is prime seating, to provide an additional 52 seats for the disabled, again with uninterrupted sight lines.
There are 80 seats left in the original space designated for the disabled that have partially obstructed views of the stage, giving a total of 172 spaces for people in wheelchairs.
The management acknowledged the lack of proper handicapped parking signs and ordered 76 of them to be installed in the parking lot. In addition, six new handicapped parking spaces, with one accessible by a van, will be dedicated at the administration parking lot.
A telephone line has been installed to provide those with special needs direct access to the amphitheater. Disabled people can also order tickets from this line. The number is 368-2400.
DiPeppe of the Endependence Center and other disabled advocates said the changes did not go far enough.
While new seating has been added, advocates argue, not enough access has been provided to those seats. Real solutions might require costly physical changes to the park, they said.
``Whether these are acts of omission or acts of commission, the results for individuals are still the same,'' DiPeppe said. ``The city is taking no responsibility for allowing this to happen. Cellar Door (which leases the site from the city) and the architects are taking no responsibility.'' ILLUSTRATION: AREAS BEING ADDRESSED:
Reallocating seats to provide uninterrupted sight lines for the
disabled.
Increasing the number of handicapped parking spots and making
them more noticeable.
Creating a phone number specifically for those with special needs
to call.
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH AMPHITHEATER DISABLED by CNB