Jean and Jim Heatherington write in support of more handicapped parking spaces near the Haddonfield Public Library
We have been residents of Haddonfield for 49 years and active volunteers in the community and our church for decades. One of the great assets of our community is our library. We enthusiastically supported the $2.2 million renovation completed in September 2016 which made the library building compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is a wonderful sanctuary for all ages to come, relax, read and learn. Visitors are welcomed warmly and assisted with any needs they may have.
However, the library has a problem. This wonderful handicapped accessible facility is not accessible to people who are handicapped. There are no handicapped parking spaces, curb cuts, or spaces to discharge or pick up people in wheelchairs. My husband has been wheelchair bound for a year. Last week, we thought it would be a delightful outing for him to visit the library and pick out his own books and DVDs, rather than have me guess what would interest him. I drove down Haddon Avenue, across Clement, and back up Tanner Street looking for a parking space where I could park, unload the wheelchair and take my husband into the library for a much-anticipated visit. Unfortunately, there were no such spaces. I left my husband in the car in one of the Tanner Street spaces and went into the library alone. At checkout, I mentioned my concern to the library aides. They immediately agreed and said they were aware of the lack of handicapped parking. How sad it is that we’ve spent $2.2 million to upgrade a facility that remains inaccessible to people in wheelchairs. We still love our borough and library. We still vote and pay our taxes. We look forward to seeing this need for handicapped parking at the library addressed.
Jean and Jim Hetherington, Haddonfield
