City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility Gives "AccessAbility" Decals to 24 Local Businesses

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 2009

For more information, contact: Byron Smith, Chair, Council for Community Accessibility, 339-5400
Craig Brenner, Special Projects Coordinator, Community and Family Resources, 349-3471
Danny Lopez, Communications Director, City of Bloomington, 349-CITY, [lopezd@bloomington.in.gov|mailto:lopezd@bloomington.in.gov]

Bloomington, IN - Mayor Mark Kruzan announced today that the City of Bloomington's Council for Community Accessibility (CCA) has awarded AccessAbility decals to 24 local businesses as part of Bloomington's annual celebration of April as Accessibility Awareness Month.

Businesses receiving AccessAbility decals are: Best Buy, 2721 E. 3rd; Bikesmiths Bicycle Shop, 112 S. College; Bloomfield State Bank, 2111 Liberty Drive; Bloomfield State Bank, 1301 N. Walnut; Bloomington Adult Community Center, 349 S. Walnut; Bucceto's Smiling Teeth, E. State Road 46 By-pass; Courtyard by Marriott, 310 S. College; Crisis Pregnancy Center, 808 N. College; Factory Card Outlet, 2817 E. 3rd; Fifth Third Bank, 200 S. Washington; Irwin Union Bank, 300 W. 6th; IU Speech & Hearing Clinic, 200 S. Jordan; Marsh, 1825 Kinser Pike; Marsh, Eastside; Millennium Properties, 1200 Rolling Ridge Way; Monroe Bank, 210 E. Kirkwood; Monroe County Public Library, 303 E. Kirkwood; Old Navy East (GAP Inc.), 2894 E. 3rd; Panera Bread, 322 S. College Mall Rd.; Peoples State Bank, 525 Clarizz; Rebound East - Bloomington Hospital, 326 S. Woodcrest; Stefano's, 021 Fountain Square Mall; Taco Bell, 3702 W. Third; and United Commerce Bank, 211 S. College. The awards will be formally announced at the Council's next meeting on Mon., April 20, at the Uptown Cafe, which previously received an AccessAbility decal.

Kruzan and Byron Smith, Chair of the CCA, recently sent letters of commendation to these businesses thanking them for their work on behalf of people with disabilities.

The AccessAbility program, initiated in the 1990s by former CCA chairs Kristin Willison and Chuck Osborn, was reintroduced in 2001. Members of the Council are responsible for conducting assessments, providing free accessibility screenings for businesses and awarding decals. In order to receive the award, a business must provide parking, access paths, entrances and doors, service counters, common areas and rest rooms meet the basic requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

For further information about the AccessAbility decal program or to request an accessibility screening, contact Craig Brenner, Special Projects Coordinator,City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department, at 349-3471 or [brennerc@bloomington.in.gov|mailto:brennerc@bloomington.in.gov].

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