The RTD Board of Directors unanimously voted on Tuesday to rename Civic Center Station after a local disability rights hero, the late Rev. Wade Blank. At the same time, activists protested the agency over proposed changes to a popular paratransit program. The RTD board ended up making so many changes to the proposal that it sent it back to a committee for new analysis.
Ironically, this is all happening on the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Former President George H.W. Bush signed the landmark civil rights law on July 26, 1990. Chandra spoke with Gisa McCray Simmons, a civil rights outreach specialist with RTD, and Curtis Garrett, a Disaster Preparedness Coordinator for the Atlantis Community.
RTD hosts a special event open to the public Friday to commemorate the anniversary from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM at the Homewood Suites Denver Convention Center on 15th Street in Denver. "35 Years of Progress: ADA Past, Present, and Future" will include a history display, panel discussion and the unveiling of the winning design from its RTD Bus Wrap Competition.
