Statement
before Glenn A. Walsh
Historic
Hazelwood
Accessibility to Disabled Electronic
Mail: < gawalsh@andrewcarnegie.cc >
Internet
Web Site: < http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc >
2003
September 23
Good morning. I am Glenn A.
Walsh of
The Carnegie Library of
Pittsburgh claims to be interested in serving the disabled; they use this as
one of the excuses for wanting to move the Hazelwood Library to the second
floor of a new building, only three blocks away.
Yet, they have done nothing
over the years to make the existing Hazelwood Library accessible to the
handicapped. There are only six steps separating sidewalk level with the main
floor of the Hazelwood Library. An inexpensive ramp could have been
installed—and can still be installed—to make the Hazelwood Library available to
patrons in wheelchairs.
And, they did install an inexpensive ramp to make
the lower level auditorium accessible to wheelchair patrons, from
The September 9 neighborhood
meeting, regarding the future of the Hazelwood Library, took place in the
250-seat auditorium, which is accessible to wheelchair patrons. Yet, Carnegie
Library distributed posters and flyers stating, “This facility is not handicapped accessible.”
Although the Library-proper
is not currently handicapped accessible, due to the disinterest of Carnegie
Library, the location of the neighborhood meeting was accessible to wheelchairs! With the flyer, which I have
attached to the reverse side of this statement, Carnegie Library purposely discouraged people who are
disabled from attending this meeting!
It is obvious that Carnegie
Library was not interested in public opinion. They were only interested in
staging a token public meeting, then going ahead with the decision to move the
Library, which they had already made—despite contrary statements to the Board
of Directors of the Allegheny Regional Asset District.
This is a slap in the face to the residents
of Hazelwood. And, the majority of residents at this meeting made it quite
clear that they were against any plan to move the library and turn the historic
building into another abandoned building in the neighborhood!
The historic Hazelwood Branch
Library building is owned by the City of
Thank you.
gaw