LORENA, Texas (KXXV) — A Lorena mother is advocating for better downtown accessibility after struggling with cracked sidewalks while navigating with her wheelchair-bound son.
- Jessica Montez organized a downtown walk to raise awareness about accessibility issues affecting her 16-year-old, wheelchair-bound son Cameron
- Cracked and uneven sidewalks in downtown Lorena create dangerous conditions for wheelchair users, forcing Montez to buy and set up a ramp at their favorite coffee shop
- Montez contacted the city about ADA compliance, with officials responding that individual businesses are responsible, though she argues the city should handle zero lot line properties
- Montez filed a formal federal complaint and is advocating for better accessibility for all community members with disabilities
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BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A Lorena mother is fighting for better accessibility in downtown after struggling to navigate cracked sidewalks and businesses without ramps with her wheelchair-bound son.
Jessica Montez organized a downtown walk to bring awareness to accessibility issues that affect her 16-year-old son Cameron, who has been in a wheelchair his whole life. She says the current conditions make their frequent trips downtown difficult.
"It looks small and minuscule to you, but if he's not properly secured or some people don't even require a seatbelt in a wheelchair, that person can be violently thrown forward or even out of their wheelchair and very severely injured," Montez said.
To make visits easier, Montez bought a ramp that she sets up every time they visit their favorite coffee shop downtown.
"And out of the kindness of their heart, this business owner, she reimbursed me for it. I don't have to lug it around. They keep it here, so every time we come, I can come in, I take the ramp, put it out, and I can push my son in and out without damaging his chair," Montez said.
Montez reached out to the city asking if downtown has been formally assessed for ADA compliance and requested clarity on ADA standards for downtown businesses. She has several emails with the city, which include responses from local leaders saying ADA compliance is the responsibility of individual businesses.
Montez shared emails with City Manager Kevin Neal with 25News. In the correspondence Neal replied by saying , "The City recognizes its responsibility for City-owned assets, including sidewalks, curb ramps, and public rights-of-way, and does not view compliance as contingent upon private business participation or economic development incentives."
"Which we know to not be true because these businesses are a zero lot line, which means that puts the responsibility back on the city," Montez said.
Montez isn't just fighting for Cameron—she's fighting to make downtown more accessible for all her neighbors.
"We don't want to be known for our city refusing to do what's right and make our streets safe for our public. So I'm really hopeful that they're going to do the right thing," Montez said.
"Accessibility is not an option, it's a right," Montez said.
Montez said she filed a formal federal complaint. I reached out to the city manager asking if downtown Lorena is in compliance with ADA laws but did not hear back before publication.
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