Casper Council Approves Disability Committee’s Recommendations

At the Casper City Council meeting on Tuesday, Liz Becher, Community Development director, came forward to discuss recommendations from the Casper's Council of People with Disabilities (CCPD).

Get our free mobile app

The CCPD is hoping to improve access for people with disabilities to bus stops and transit locations around the city, especially during the winter.

Zulima Lopez, parks, recreation and facilities director, said that there are 106 transit bus system stops, but only 13 city property, meaning many places don't get cleared when snow falls.

Becher said they are hoping to provide five gallon buckets of ice-slicer and snow shovels to bus drivers so that they can clear the places that they stop at to make it more easily accessible for people with disabilities.

Because many of the transit stops are next to private property, the CCPD also recommended that the city, through the Transit and Metropolitan Planning Organization, create an "adopt a shelter" program to allow people, organizations and businesses to donate their time to keeping a certain transit stop clean and cleared of snow.

The CCPD also recommended an awareness campaign with the slogan "I count on You," aimed at showing people in Casper the kinds of things that people with disabilities rely on that many people take for granted.

All members of city council gave a thumbs up for the city manager's office to move forward with the proposals.

Vice Mayor Ray Pacheco said he appreciates the recommendations provided and believes they will help improve the community.

"One of the reasons we created the CCPD was awareness for things like this. I know I mentioned this in the past, we generally don't, if we're able to do things, climb stairs, walk down sidewalks, we take it for granted. I think that's usually goes without saying, know that's a little cliché, we do take it for granted. Sitting on the CCPD as a liaison from here, have an opportunity to have that conversation, to hear some of those issues that they face. This is fantastic, I encourage the citizens of Casper, if they are to take ownership of the their sidewalks, for that very reason. But beyond that, beyond the bus stops, beyond look at your neighborhood see what you can do, especially, you don't know who might be have some type of disability, even the elderly beyond that too. This is the reason I got on city council, these are the type of things that impact our community."