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Wheelchair access settlement in works

By Marc Shulgold, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published October 3, 2008 at 10:05 p.m.

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Legal documents were filed in U.S. District Court on Friday, setting the stage for settlement of a suit brought against the city by the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition concerning wheelchair access at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.

Coalition attorney Kevin Williams said the filing marks the beginning of the settlement process.

Speaking for the city, Sabrina D'Agosta hailed the agreement, while noting that several improvements already have been made at the Opera House, which opened in 2005. "We've worked with the coalition, with the City Attorney's office and the hall's designers, Semple Brown, to improve access to the seating area and other locations in the Ellie."

Full details of the settlement were not available Friday, but will be announced soon, D'Agosta said.

The suit, which claimed violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act, was launched on behalf of seven plaintiffs soon after the completion of the Opera House, when a visiting group of wheelchair users discovered inadequate access and visibility on the floor of the hall. That legal action prompted the city to make fixes, including a better-functioning lift to lower patrons in wheelchairs to the main floor. After a review and commentary period, final court approval should be announced in a few months, Williams said.