City's New Gazebo: A Symbol of Segregation 

By Randy Alexander

The City of Memphis, the Center City Commission & the Memphis Rotary Foundation have teamed together to build a $640,000 symbol -- a symbol of how the city truly feels about people with disabilities; "We don't mind if you are here but don't expect full access in this city." The newly renovated Court Square Park and the completely NON-ACCESSIBLE gazebo/bandstand and grass areas symbolize this administration's complete disregard towards the rights of people with disabilities. How else can people with disabilities in this city feel, when we have seen time and again how this administration continues to discriminate towards us. 

Talk is cheap, but actions speak volumes. City officials continue to talk the talk about access and our rights but through their actions we see the truth. A law suit had to be filed against the city for curb cuts, and, in spite of that, many city funded/promoted projects have access issues, such as FedEx Forum and Peabody Place. There continues to be no effective means to discuss disability related issues with the city. Recently individuals with the Memphis Center for Independent Living tried calling the Mayor's Citizens Service Center and was told the Service Center does not take disability related concerns their. The city and county inspectors routinely allow apartments and businesses to open up that are not accessible. Memphis continues to promote non-visitable new housing construction and on and on. How else is a person with a disability to feel in this city but unwelcome? Now the city has built a symbol that appropriately shows, like a beacon in the night, just how they feel towards our community. 

These are just a few examples of this administration's blatant refusal to not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), our civil rights law, and to not value us as citizens of this community. Cy Paumeir recently said in a Commercial Appeal article that "Court Square is the "single most important symbol" of the city's health". To so many people with disabilities it is a symbol of this city's abileist attitudes. The time has come for change. 

The Center City Commission has nerve enough to advertise its renovation of the gazebo/bandstand as a "testament to turn-of-20th-Century elegance. All of us here should know why it is passed time to move into the 21st century! 

So the Memphis Center for Independent Living (MCIL), SCLC and ADAPT of Tennessee have gathered people here today to say, NO MORE. "MCIL has been battling this city for 20 years over access issues; we have and will not stand idly by. It is time for this administration to make significant changes and break down the barriers that exist in our community," said Randy Alexander. "All aspects of this city must be accessible to all people and SCLC stands beside the efforts here today", said Dwight Montgomery. We want full access to this park! We want full access to this city! We want full access to the very process so we can guarantee our own rights! Mayor Herenton can begin this change today! 

Our demands of Mayor Herenton are simple:

• Guarantee the Gazebo will be accessible within three months
• Cut access points into the curbing that is blocking access to the grass areas
• Immediately take action to include people with disabilities in all aspects of this city

Email your comments to Jeff Sanford, President Memphis Center City Commission sanford@downtownmemphis.com