City's Council for Community Accessibility Awards AccessAbility Decals to Local Businesses

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 16, 2015

For more information, please contact:

Michael Shermis, Special Projects Coordinator, City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department, 812.349.3471, cca@bloomington.in.gov

Katie Herron, Chair, City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility, kgherron08@gmail.com

City's Council for Community Accessibility Awards AccessAbility Decals to Local Businesses

Bloomington, Ind. - The City of Bloomington's Council for Community Accessibility (CCA) announced six businesses that have been awarded AccessAbility decals. These awards form part of Bloomington's annual celebration of Accessibility Awareness Month, held each year in April. The decals indicate businesses which meet accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as determined by CCA volunteers and are thus welcoming to people with disabilities, their friends and families.

The businesses receiving AccessAbility decals in 2015 are:

• MedExpress, 123 Franklin Rd.

• Crumble Café and Bakery, 1509 S. Piazza Dr.

• No Coast Reserve, 115 State Road 46, Ste. D

• Hyatt Place Hotel, 217 W. Kirkwood Ave.

• B-Town Diner, 211 N. Walnut St.

• Scotty's Brewhouse, 302 N. Walnut St.

Mayor Mark Kruzan and Katie Herron, Chair of the Council for Community Accessibility, sent a letter of commendation to the businesses for meeting the requirements of a business welcoming to persons with disabilities. Any business may obtain a decal, but its parking spaces, access paths, entrances and doors, service counters, common areas and restrooms must meet the basic requirements of the ADA in order to qualify.

The decals are displayed in the windows or doors of businesses that have taken the necessary steps to make themselves accessible. To see a list of businesses who have received AccessAbility decals in the past, visit [the CCA's website|/CCA].

The AccessAbility Decal program, initiated in the 1990s by former chairs of the CCA, Kristen Williston and Chuck Osborn, was reintroduced in 2001. Volunteer members of the CCA conduct the assessments free of charge. Assessors receive training and guidance from the CCA's Accessibility Committee before surveying businesses.

CCA members will continue to provide free accessibility screenings for businesses and award additional decals throughout the year. For further information about the AccessAbility program or to request an accessibility screening, contact Special Projects Coordinator Michael Shermis at 812.349.3471 or [cca@bloomington.in.gov|mailto:cca@bloomington.in.gov].

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