Multiple sclerosis patients lobbied at Beacon Hill

BOSTON, Mass (WWLP) – Multiple sclerosis patients can have symptoms as mild as numbness in the limbs, to the most severe paralysis.  They pushed lawmakers for more accessibility in employee offices.

People with multiple sclerosis met with state lawmakers about the need for employee offices and “employees only” spaces to be more accessible to them. The Americans with Disabilities Act, or A-D-A, requires all public buildings be handicap accessible, but it doesn’t cover employee entrances. Those with M-S not only struggle from the disease, they have a hard time simply getting around.

Carol Steinberg from the Multiple Sclerosis Society told 22News “It’s a problem of getting into buildings. You roll up to a restaurant and you see three big steps and you feel like you’ve been slapped in the face.”

The Architectural Access Board within the A-D-A wants to expand its jurisdiction to employee areas, parking lots with less than fifteen spaces and old housing. That way, people with M-S and disabilities can easily access any building entrance.

Expanding jurisdiction will also ensure all buildings comply with federal law, as well as the Architectural Access Board.