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Richmond schools achieve accessibility standards

By WTOP Staff

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Richmond Public Schools has achieved full compliance with federal building accessibility standards.

The system has spent $20 million since a lawsuit was filed in 2005 to make its 44 schools accessible. The lawsuit filed by a group of parents called Citizens for Full Access was settled in 2006.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/1mZHKOR ) reports that the plaintiffs and school officials had their final meeting last week. A formal signed agreement is expected this week.

One of the plaintiffs, Vicki Beatty, tells the newspaper that 95 percent of the city’s schools had some type of barrier at the time the lawsuit was filed. She says those barriers have been dropped.

The work included new elevators, usable wheelchair ramps and rubber surfaces on playgrounds.

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Information from: Richmond Times-Dispatch, http://www.timesdispatch.com

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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