Ryan Announces $850,000 in Grants to Improve Access to Public Facilities

SPRINGFIELD -- Governor George H. Ryan today announced grants totaling $850,000 to help 13 local governments renovate public buildings to provide access for people with disabilities.

"Access to public facilities or services is a right of all citizens," Ryan said. "While Illinois' smaller communities are eager to comply with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, they face paying for expensive renovations, which can often slow down compliance. The state can - and does - step in to help units of local government across Illinois bridge the financial gap to move ahead with these important projects."

Examples of the projects include efforts in Pulaski County and the City of Mattoon. Pulaski County will receive $134,000 to make the local courthouse accessible to those with disabilities. Rehabilitation of restrooms will make the courthouse fully compliant with ADA requirements.

In the City of Mattoon, $77,500 will be used to rehabilitate city hall. The building includes the city council chambers, public meeting rooms, the mayor's office and the city clerk's office. The grant will improve accessibility to many city offices, including meeting rooms in the basement of city hall, by expanding elevator access to the lower level.

The grants come from the Community Development Assistance Program (CDAP), which is administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs (DCCA). DCCA Director Pam McDonough said local governments have expressed a strong interest in the ADA grants.

"As is often the case, we received many more applications than we were able to fund," McDonough said. "It's heartening to see how many Illinois communities are determined to make their public facilities accessible to each of the their citizens, no matter what their physical limitations may be."

The grants are awarded by DCCA to local governments with populations of 50,000 or less that are not located within the eight Illinois urban counties. The maximum grant available under the program for smaller communities is $150,000.

A list of communities receiving CDAP Removal of Architectural Barriers grants is attached.