The Traveling Wheelchair

2 Government Center
Fall River, MA 02722
Phone: 508-646-6555
www.usps.com

Since I had a problem applying for my passport at the Taunton  Post Office (see Taunton Post Office review) we decided to find out where the next closest location to Middleboro was that one can apply for a passport. I was told that is at the main Post Office in Fall River MA. We decided to check it out to see if it was wheelchair accessible. I was very disappointed that it is also NOT accessible for the disabled. A postal employee told me that usually someone in a wheelchair or someone unable to get into the Post Office often asks another customer to go in to buy them stamps or do their Postal business for them. I then asked what if someone wanted to apply for a passport? The postal worker told me that the person would need to park in the parking lot at the end of the building and ask someone (anyone?) to go into the post office and ask a postal employee to come out. I was then told that the postal worker would take the information into the Post Office and then come out and ask the disabled person to sign the application and give them their receipt.  Wow! This would be very humiliating and awful, not to mention unsafe!!

It is totally shocking to Kenny and Company that in this day and age, when a disabled person needs to apply for a US Passport that they would have to ask a total stranger outside the post office to assist them in getting a postal worker to assist them. It’s even more shocking that the application for a US Passport is done either in a dark dirty basement as is done in the Taunton Post Office or is done in a parking lot as is done at the main Fall River Post Office.  Kenny and Company feels that the US Fall River Post Office is putting disabled people at risk due to them having to ask a stranger to either help them do their postal business or get a postal worker for them.  Kenny and Company does not tolerate discrimination. Kenny and Company were told by the Taunton Postal employee that the reason these buildings are not accessible is  because they are Historical Federal Buildings and do not need to be accessible and comply with Federal Laws regarding accessibility of disabled. We decided to investigate ourselves.

We contacted Charles, State Senator Marc Pacheco’s assistant who then was nice and contacted US Congressman Barney Frank’s office on our behalf. We spoke with Karen, Congressman Frank’s Assistant  in his Taunton office and she was very kind and listened to our concern.  We asked her to file a formal complaint on our behalf against the US Postal Service.

Since this time we also discovered that the Registry of Motor Vehicles Official State ID is a valid primary source of ID and should have been accepted by the Taunton Post Office.

We also contacted Senator John Kerry’s office in Washington DC to inquire about the accessibility of Historical Federal buildings. Today, Senator Kerry’s Office faxed us the Federal Register stating there are some provisions stating that historical federal buildings do have some protection from major structural changes, however they should be able to provide some access by making minor changes.

For further information regarding the January 2007 revised Code of Federal Regulations – Title 39-  Postal Service you can read Part 255- Access of Persons with Disabilities to Postal Service Program at http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_07/39cfr255_07.html . Click on Sec. 255.3 -Nondiscrimination under any program or activity conducted by the Postal Service and Sec. 255.4 -Accessibility to electronic and information technology. We believe that the Taunton and Fall River Post Offices are in violation of these Federal Codes.

We believe that all persons, disabled or not should have FULL, SAFE and EQUAL access to their US Postal Offices. The Fall River US Post Office at 2 Government Center in Fall River, MA gets ZERO STARS!

Both the Taunton and Fall River Post Offices could earn the other stars if they built a cement wheelchair ramp to the main entry door just like the Middleboro Post Office and other post offices which are also Historical Buildings have done.

If you know of any other US Post Offices in Massachusetts which are not accessible to disabled , please contact your US Senator and US Congressman and file a complaint.