SHEBOYGAN – The wheelchair lift at the Washington School Apartments is working again after being inoperable for 12 weeks.
The lift was inspected and received a lift operating permit at the beginning of the month, following shaft modifications and electrical structure work that delayed the construction process. Smaller than it should’ve been, part of the wall was extended, and a portion of the stairs were removed to fit the new one.
The original lift was removed Feb. 12 because it needed new parts that were obsolete. The lift was about 10 years old.
Gorman & Company Wisconsin Market President Ted Matkom said the project cost about $30,000.
As a historic building, the lift couldn’t be altered within the first few years under Gorman & Company ownership. Matkom said the old lift should’ve been replaced sooner than it was, though. It experienced periodic breakdowns and technical issues.
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Matkom said the apartment building needs a back-up plan if there are future issues with the lift, like installing a chair lift on the rail of the first five steps to the first floor. It wouldn’t be feasible to take out the steps to make a ramp because it is too steep, he said.
Residents or visitors unable to use the stairs independently faced challenges getting into the building. The five stairs to get to the first floor are at the only ADA-accessible entrance.
Gorman & Company said a core elevator accessible to floors inside the building was working the “entire time” the lift was down. However, those needing assistance walking couldn’t access the core elevator from the main entrance because the lift was inoperable.
At least one wheelchair-bound resident was practically stuck inside the whole time the lift was down, only able to leave with assistance from caregivers.
The resident could be offered a rent concession for the inconvenience, Matkom said.
Four other Gorman & Company properties in Milwaukee, also former schools, have also had issues with wheelchair lifts, Matkom said, adding he didn’t know if there was a companywide procedure for these situations but that it has to fall within a reasonable accommodation.
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Disability rights advocate says accommodations during installation delays were not ‘sufficient’
When asked if Gorman & Company was assisting or offering accommodations to wheelchair-bound residents when the lift was broken, the company said it made accommodations for any resident who brought concerns to them during this time, like installing a lockbox on the outside of the building for a resident’s caregiver to enter and exit. Caregivers have also helped carry a wheelchair-bound resident down the stairs.
Kit Kerschensteiner, director of legal and advocacy services with Disability Rights Wisconsin, said the response was “nowhere sufficient to what it needs to be.”
“Caregivers are not an accommodation,” Kerschensteiner said. “That’s, ‘Figure it out for yourself, buddy.’”
Under the Fair Housing Act, individuals with disabilities are allowed reasonable housing accommodation so they have an equal opportunity to use a dwelling. In situations where a resident doesn't have accessible building entry — like a wheelchair lift or elevator — Kerschensteiner said landlords may pay for a temporary stay in a hotel or move them to a first-floor unit until the issue is resolved.
The family member of the Washington School Apartments resident didn’t request a reasonable accommodation but suggested using a temporary ramp when the lift was broken. They were told the area was too steep.
Throughout the weeks the lift was inoperable, however, Kerschensteiner said the resident had a right to a reasonable and sufficient accommodation.
Have a story tip? Contact Alex Garner at 224-374-2332 or agarner@gannett.com. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @alexx_garner.
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