Ferndale

Resident raises issue of handicap access in parks

By Jeremy Selweski
C & G Staff Writer

FERNDALE — Kelley Carney doesn’t get around so well these days. The 42-year-old Ferndale resident was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis three years ago and since then has had to watch her health steadily deteriorate.

Now in a wheelchair, Carney said she spends “more time in bed than out of bed.” Still, the wife and mother of six tries to spend as much time as possible with her kids and especially enjoys watching her three youngest daughters play soccer and softball in nearby Geary Park.

Recently, though, that’s become a major struggle for Carney, as Geary Park, like many other parks in the city, has only limited access for residents with physical disabilities.

“I have to stay out in the street and watch my kids from there because I can’t get my wheelchair down to the ball fields,” Carney said. “I feel like I can only participate from the sidelines. … I knew it was a problem before, but it really hit home for me when I didn’t have a choice but to go there in my wheelchair.”

Since there are no sidewalks or pathways for her chair, Carney said that on a couple of occasions, rather than sit in the street, she has had her husband drive her up to the curb and then carry her onto the grass near the playing fields.

City officials acknowledged the problem, but said that it could be a difficult and costly issue to resolve, and one that would require a great deal of time. According to Public Works Director Byron Photiades, who knows Carney from her past involvement in Ferndale Parks and Recreation, the concern is “something that probably should be part of the Parks and Rec master plan.

“It’s important enough to be taken to the Parks and Rec Advisory Board,” he continued. “Unfortunately, government works at a slow pace. I’m sure (the board) will eventually look into it, but it ultimately comes down to how much priority the City Council puts on it.”

Photiades admitted that many of the city’s 14 parks, including Geary Park, lack sufficient handicap access. However, he said that Martin Road Park — which, along with Geary, is one of Ferndale’s largest, most widely used parks — does have a path that disabled residents can use.

And Photiades was quick to add that the problem is not limited to just Ferndale. Other cities in the surrounding area, he said, face the exact same issues.

Carney went before the Ferndale City Council on April 14 and requested that something be done to remedy the park situation. She hoped that the city would be able to look into the construction of sidewalks that would allow full access to park facilities for all residents.

“Our parks do not meet code,” she said, addressing the council. “People in our community with disabilities are being discriminated against. … I’ve been here (since 1970), and I should be able to use the park in my own neighborhood.”

Mayor Craig Covey said that the problem is something the council should prioritize, and in a subsequent phone interview, he elaborated on the subject.

“Some of our parks are more accessible than others, but I think that Ferndale is one of the most sensitive cities to this issue,” he said. “Everyone on the council is interested in making our parks more accessible. But it’s a matter of resources, and you have to take it one step at a time.”

Ann Serafin, chair of the five-member Ferndale Disability Advisory Committee, said she was not fully aware of any accessibility issues in the parks, but admitted that “it’s hard for us to keep track of everything that’s happening in the city. But that’s something we’ll have to investigate. I’m definitely interested in looking into this.”

Though Carney is upset about her recent problems at Geary Park, she said she is not merely seeking to make things better for herself. In fact, she feels that this is an issue that affects more residents than people might realize.

“I know for a fact that we have families with handicapped children who can’t get to the play areas,” said Carney, who until March worked in Ferndale classrooms as an aide to students with autism. “I’ve had parents bring it to my attention. … A lot of these families end up having to leave our city just to go to the park.”

Carney knows that it will take time before any changes can be made, but she’s glad just to get the issue out on the table and up for discussion.

“My goal was to bring this to their attention, because you can’t have that connection with the community if part of the community cannot participate,” she said.

Photiades said that even though the park accessibility issue could be placed on the Parks and Recreation Department’s next master plan, no immediate action would come of it, as the new plan is slated for the years 2010 through 2015.

It also may be possible for the city to secure grant money to pursue such a project. But while there could be potential funding opportunities from the state of Michigan, Photiades said that unfortunately, “federal grant money is not as plentiful as it once was.”

Like Covey, Photiades stressed the importance of taking the process step by step, but he also empathized with Carney’s concerns about what’s happening right now.

“I think it’s important to respond, to at least start the process,” he said. “At the very least, (the Parks and Rec board) can invite Kelly to their next meeting (on May 21).”

Still, he reiterated that the complexity of the process would prevent any action from taking place in the near future.

“It’s not so simple as just putting a path in (the park),” he said. “Where are you going to put them to accommodate everyone? … I’m sure the city would like to fund every request that comes before council, but we have to prioritize. … What should we be doing and what can we do? That’s what it all comes down to.”

Check next week’s issue of the Woodward Talk for a follow-up story on handicap access to parks in Ferndale and the surrounding communities.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Jeremy Selweski at jSelweski@candgnews.com or at (586)218-5004.