Savannah agrees to make public areas more accessible to the disabled

SAVANNAH - The city of Savannah has reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. <br> <br> Now almost ten years old, the law requires state and local governments to make public facilities - such as parks, libraries, courthouses, polling places and police stations - more readily accessible for disabled people. <br> <br> Chris Morrill, an assistant Savannah city manager, said the eleven-point agreement should take about two years to complete. He estimated it would cost about $300,000, and that money would be found in the budget for the improvements. <br> <br> Some of the changes are easier than others. For instance, City Council chambers will be fitted with listening systems for the hard-of-hearing, as will Grayson Stadium and the Martin Luther King Junior Arena at the Civic Center. <br> <br> Others are more labor intensive. The city agreed to physical modifications so that ``parking, routes into buildings, entrances, doors, elevators, signage, public telephones, restrooms, dressing rooms, locker rooms, service counters, drinking fountains and swimming pools are accessible to people with disabilities.&#39;&#39;