East Lyme reaches settlement to make town hall ADA compliant

EAST LYME — The town of East Lyme has entered into a settlement to make its town hall more accessible, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

The settlement is to “resolve allegations that the East Lyme Town Hall was not operating in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990,” U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery said in a news release Friday.

The settlement stems from a complaint filed by an individual with physical disabilities alleging that “multiple aspects of East Lyme’s Town Hall facility were inaccessible to individuals with mobility disabilities,” according to the U.S. attorney’s office. “East Lyme is in the process of making significant improvements, as required by the settlement agreement, including improving the accessibility of the Town Hall parking lot, main entrance, multi-level access routes to connect the main upper floor to the basement, visitor and employee interaction counters, public restrooms and drinking fountains.”

Avery commended the town for working to address the town hall’s accessibility issues.

“Among the most important protections provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act are those ensuring individuals with disabilities have access to public services, especially key local government facilities such as Town Hall,”

Avery said. “Our Office is committed to enforcing the ADA, which requires public entities, including municipalities, to provide access to individuals with disabilities. We greatly appreciate the willingness of the Town of East Lyme and the commitment of its First Selectman to greatly increase the accessibility and usability of East Lyme’s Town Hall.”

Anyone who wishes to file a complaint alleging that a public entity or place of public accommodation is not accessible to people with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s office at 203-821-3700.