Ahead of a Fourth of July celebration in Racine on Thursday, Disability Rights Wisconsin is pushing for local officials to guarantee more accessible parking for people with disabilities.
Hannah Balder, a Disability Rights Wisconsin lawyer, contacted Public Investigator on Monday about a Racine resident who approached the nonprofit organization with concerns about parking at the Racine 4th Fest parade and fireworks show.
At the time, the event website stated that the fireworks show "gets busy, so be prepared to walk a bit… The City of Racine does not have designated handicap parking available for the fireworks. Handicap parking is available, but is EXTREMELY LIMITED.”
As of Tuesday, the line about the city not having designated accessible parking has been removed from the site.
In a letter to Racine City Attorney Scott Letteney, Balder said the issue is one of "inclusion."
"Individuals with disabilities have the right to celebrate next to their neighbors, friends, and family," Balder wrote.
Public Investigator contacted the City Attorney's office and 4th Fest President Jake Lovdahl on Tuesday for insight on accessible parking.
"It's never really been an issue or been brought up," Lovdahl told Public Investigator. "Any accessibility spaces that are available to the general public for the rest of the year are maintained on that day."
Lovdahl said the statement on the website was meant to warn residents of limited parking specifically during the firework show, not the parade. He said street parking will be available in the surrounding area for both events.
Sean Ryan, spokesperson for the Racine City Attorney's office, told Public Investigator the statement on the website about "extremely limited" accessible parking space was referring to a parking lot near Kids Cove, a playground near North Beach where the fireworks show will take place.
There are six accessible parking spots available in that parking lot, Ryan said.
Lovdahl confirmed that the rest of the lot is closed to the general public and reserved for VIP parking.
The 4th Fest's highest donor tier offers event sponsors 50 passes to a VIP party and four VIP parking passes if they contribute $5,000 to event programming.
According to reporting by the Racine County Eye, the parade has drawn tens of thousands of people in recent years.
Where can people find accessible parking for the Racine 4th Fest?
In response to Balder, Letteney suggested a list of nearby parking lots that are close to the 2.6-mile parade route and lakefront firework show.
He included parking lots near the Racine Zoo, on Goold Street, at Festival Hall, on the Kipi Kawi Causeway, and at Gateway Technical College, which he said all have accessible parking spaces.
"People may easily get to Main Street to watch the parade or may watch the fireworks from those vantage points," Letteney wrote.
He noted that the City of Racine does not plan 4th Fest but serves as a sponsor.
However, Balder responded that some of Letteney's recommended parking lots are one to three miles away from Racine's North Beach.
"Confining them to a parking lot miles away from the celebration not only violates the (Americans with Disabilities Act), but also insults the values of freedom and independence forming the very core of this celebration," Balder wrote in an email to Letteney.
Are there plans to reserve more accessible parking spots in the future?
Balder recommended two alternative options for the city to accommodate people with disabilities in the future, including making the parking lot near Kids Cove entirely designated for accessible parking.
Additionally, Balder asked that the City of Racine consider providing shuttle transportation from parking lots that are far away from North Beach.
Public Investigator asked Ryan if these recommendations were up for consideration for this year's celebration or future Fourth of July programming.
Ryan declined to offer additional insight on future plans or respond directly to Balder's recommendations.
The 4th Fest of Greater Racine fireworks show begins on July 4 at 8:45 p.m. The firework show is also broadcast on YouTube beginning 10 minutes before the start of the fireworks.
Tamia Fowlkes is a Public Investigator reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at tfowlkes@gannett.com.
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