New Board Of Elections Facility Violates ADA: Dept. Of Justice

CRANSTON, RI — The new Board of Elections facility in Cranston does not comply with accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Department of Justice announced Monday. As part of a settlement, the board agreed to immediately fix "a number of significant deficiencies."

Rhode Island U.S. Attorney Aaron Weisman's office "extensively" investigated the facility following a complaint from the public that the new office on Plainfield Pike is not fully accessible for people with disabilities. The department officially moved to the new Cranston office from Providence in February. The law, which protects people with disabilities from discrimination, states that "no qualified individual with a disability shall, because a public entity’s facilities are inaccessible to or unusable by individuals with disabilities, be excluded from participation in, or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of a public entity, or be subjected to discrimination by a public entity."

The board has 30 days to have a professional survey the facility and create a plan to fix the issues, ensuring that someone with a disability can park, enter and exit the building, as well as attend public hearings, meetings and other programs. The design plan must be submitted to the U.S. Attorney's Office for approval within two months. Once approved, the board will choose a contractor, and all construction must be complete within six months.

"The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island is committed to investigating alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act," Weisman's office said in a statement.