Locals pushing for more handicap access to buildings
Eduardo Morales
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Locals throughout Yuma are pushing for easier multi-story building access for people with disabilities.
Last week the Yuma City Council postponed a vote on new code enforcements for buildings, as some Yuma locals are looking for change.
The proposed codes say multi-story buildings less than 3,000 square feet are not required to have an elevator.
Some are fighting for this to change, saying there should not be a minimum square foot requirement.
“If my son or daughter had an appointment, had a function, had something, on a second-story building that didn’t have wheelchair access that means both us would miss out,” said Sarah Buriss, whose husband David is in a wheelchair.
Alexi Liggett, a mother of a disabled child, shares how this moment is important to make a difference.
“Right now that we have this opportunity to you know make it so that new buildings have this accessibility and not have that hurdle for families or that barrier it’s such a huge opportunity,” Ligett says.
Yuma City Council member Leslie McClendon shares why locals should pay attention to this cause.
“We’re moving so forward in the future with technology, this should be just an automatic,” said McClendon.
She says sometimes people don’t realize how difficult certain things can be if you are handicapped.
“I take that for granted, many of us take it for granted that we can just automatically go to the second floor we can do whatever we want to do, we don’t question it, why should that be a question for anybody else that has a disability,” McClendon says.
The council will vote on the code enforcements next week.