Richard Bernstein: Cadillac Place Lacks Accessibility For Handicapped
DETROIT (WWJ) - A local attorney is filing a federal lawsuit Thursday against the state of Michigan over what he says is the lack of accessibility for the handicapped at a landmark building in Detroit.
Attorney Richard Bernstein is suing the State and Federal Court on behalf of Jill Babcock, who has multiple sclerosis and is confined to a wheelchair. A nationally known tax lawyer, Babcock works for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation inside of Cadillac Place.
Bernstein said the building is not fully accessible for the handicapped.
"Here you have the seat of state government for southeastern Michigan that a disabled person can't even get through the front door," said Bernstein. "So let's look at what you have in this building. You have the highest most scrutiny because, number one, it's state government.
"You have the governor's office, the attorney general's office, [and] the Secretary of State's office. You even have, which is my favorite, the Commission on People with Disabilities, the Commission for the Blind."
Bernstein said the building is not safe for a person confined to a wheelchair, either.
"You have a door that's marked ADA compliant, so people with disabilities will start using that door but what happens is it's dangerous," said Bernstein. "What will take place is you go down it so steep that you become like a missile and it launches you into traffic and into the oncoming street."
