ATLANTA — A woman who uses a wheelchair because she is paralyzed is suing the city of Atlanta over sidewalks she says are inaccessible.
Beth Beckley says she wanted to enjoy a game at the Georgia Dome, but she and her husband were shocked when they realized there was no sidewalk access for her wheelchair anywhere at Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Centennial Olympic Park Drive.
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“We came up from Richard B. Russell, then went down MLK and realized that wasn’t going to work, then had to go down to that intersection back around over here, realized that wasn’t going to work and came back over here, then had to eventually give up and ride with traffic on the road,” Beckley's husband, Justin, said.
Beth Beckley says the city is in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the lawsuit is about more than just her.
“I don’t want anybody else in my shoes to go through that as well because it was traumatizing for me. It really hurt my feelings,” she said.
Attorney James Radford handles many ADA cases and took on Beth Beckley's.
“They’ve got to fix it as soon as possible. It can’t just be on a list to be done someday and we don’t know when,” he said.
A spokesperson for the city of Atlanta told Channel 2’s Erin Coleman that he cannot comment on pending litigation, but the intersection is slated for upgrades.
He also said the city will evaluate the intersection to determine if work can be completed sooner.
Cox Media Group
