THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 13, 1996 TAG: 9607130004
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: ANOTHER VIEW
SOURCE: By MEYERA OBERNDORF
LENGTH: 71 lines
Contrary to the impression that may have been created by Alexandria Berger's Another View on July 8, the city of Virginia Beach takes the concerns of its disabled community very seriously.
The city, in partnership with Cellar Door, is addressing the legitimate concerns that have surfaced since the Virginia Beach Amphitheater was opened.
The facility does meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Our goal is to make the Virginia Beach Amphitheater a pleasant experience for all our citizens to enjoy.
During the development phase of this project, a disabled member of the community was invited to another Cellar Door facility with similar accessibility as the Virginia Beach Amphitheater; no specific issues were raised at that time.
When the Virginia Beach facility opened, handicapped-accessible seats were provided in the golden circle, directly below the VIP boxes. We also provided handicapped-accessible parking near the VIP parking area, which is the nearest to seating. Restrooms and vending areas also were designed to be accessible.
I would like to review the actions we are now taking to enhance accessibility:
The disabled parking area has handicapped-designated parking signs. There is separate parking for the disabled because parking for the entire area is covered by gravel, which prevents easy mobility for wheelchairs. The disabled-parking area is totally paved with asphalt and provides close, easy access in and out of the facility. This arrangement has a distinct advantage over end-of-lane handicapped parking spaces. We have also added six disabled-parking spaces next to the administration and box-office building.
Concession-area seating (picnic tables) has been modified to accommodate wheelchair users.
Ticket-sale policies have been revised to allow a disabled ticket purchaser to buy three companion tickets.
Signs have been installed to indicate the availability of assistive-listening devices and TDD machines.
The lawn seating area is being reviewed and any proposed design changes will encompass all safety and line-of-sight issues. Accessibility to the landing area at the top of the hill is currently available, but modifications will need to be made to provide access to the lawn area via a ramp.
If studies determine that it is feasible to provide access to the lawn area, then slope ratios on portions of the lawn will need to be modified in order to prevent line-of-sight interruption. Slope modifications would also provide necessary safety measures for disabled patrons using wheelchairs.
The orchestra seating area has been retrofitted to accept an additional 40 wheelchair-accessible spaces - 20 spaces for each side of the stage area. Two additional gold-circle sections have been retrofitted to provide 40 additional unobstructed line-of-sight seats in the first two rows. Section 102 will continue to provide 40 accessible spaces for disabled patrons and 40 spaces for nondisabled-companion seating.
We've received favorable comments from people with disabilities who have attended performances at the Virginia Beach Amphitheater. They have reported that the staff at the amphitheater went far beyond the call of duty to make them feel welcome and meet any special needs they had. Staff members also ask patrons what more they can do to make their visit to the amphitheater a pleasant one.
I continue to work closely with the Mayor's Committee for Persons with Disabilities, a group of volunteers dedicated to improving the quality of life for citizens with disabilities. The committee has been in place for more than 20 years and has been recognized as an outstanding volunteer program.
The city of Virginia Beach has been working diligently to ensure that people with disabilities are given fair and equal treatment. We continually strive to improve the services we offer and are always open to suggestions that are constructive to this effort. MEMO: Meyera Oberndorf is mayor of Virginia Beach. by CNB