As the renovations to Lido Towers draw to a close (so I am told), the total budget for this project is in the neighborhood of $18 MILLION DOLLARS. What I cannot understand is what portion of this large sum has gone to improving the lives of handicapped residents?

My mom has been a resident for OVER 7 YEARS. I have Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, in January when it became unsafe for me to live alone I moved in with mom. Shortly after that, it became necessary because of MS for me to use a Power Wheelchair.

IDEALLY I would like Lido Beach to be my now & forever home because when my mom passes the condo will revert to me HOWEVER living here is so bad that after only being here 4 months I am considering a NURSING HOME.

For 184 UNITS (realizing MOST have more than one car) & a LARGE NUMBER of VISITORS particularly during the summer there are 5 HANDICAPPED PARKING SPACES. 1 in the "A" lot (near the pool) 0 in the "B" lot that would be considered the MAIN LOT since this is MOST residents & ALL visitors enter & where the Lobby is located & 4 in the "C" lot. When you enter the "C" lot from the "B" lot there are 2 IMMEDIATELY to your right then there are 2 a long distance away by the BBQ area. The spaces I am told are on a first come first serve basis for resident & guests alike so if a resident such as myself REQUIRES handicapped parking space because of accessibility & they use a wheelchair they still have a 1 in 5 chance of getting a handicapped parking space otherwise they need to park in a regular space which in my case IS NOT wide enough for my van. I WAS offered another regular space that is "slightly" larger because it is an end space but it is almost in the BBQ area.

The lobby IS NOT accessible to the handicapped from the parking lot. Nearby is the service entrance. By law the service entrance CANNOT be the ONLY MEANS of wheelchair access yet this is where they want to put a ramp for me (currently that entrance IS NOT accessible because of a "lip" at the door). Going around the bend a bit on the way to the "C" lot is d another door this door ironically is almost in my apartment but it IS NOT accessible. Then if you go all the way thru the "C" lot over by the BBQ grill (where the 2 handicapped spaces area) is the ONLY DOOR currently accessible (sort of) to a wheelchair. It DOES NOT have a "lip" preventing the chair from entering HOWEVER it has a very heavy fire door then a small hallway & another heavy door.
I submitted a LETTER OF REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION as the law requires. As I said, I was offered a regular parking space all the way by the BBQ grill. They also said they COULD put a ramp at the Service Entrance so I WOULD NOT have to go around the world to get in (though I still might have to go around the world to park). Additionally they AGREED to make the door with the ramp (service door) AUTOMATIC (as I requested) but it would be done AT MY EXPENSE.

Even the CLOSEST parking space is NOWHERE close to the Service Entrance where they want me to come in. If I COULD NOT find a handicapped parking & needed to park in the regular space they want to assign me near the BBQ area I would need to pack a suitcase to get to the Service Door, which they would put a ramp on & I could pay for an automatic door too. Furthermore, law says they CANNOT designate the Service Entrance as a handicapped entrance.

The entrance that I am going in currently is accessed by going up a walkway that is barely wider than my wheelchair. When I need to turn to open the fire door with the key my back wheels go off the path (it is not wide enough) & into the dirt & gravel. The “trick” is then for me to hold the fire door open, get my key out, direct the chair out of the gravel, hold my service dog & get in the door. Rarely is anyone in this area to help me. On average, it takes between 15 & 20 minutes for me to get in the building. In ONE MONTH: I destroyed a brand new cup holder & a beautiful large button of my Service Dog & I from the door slamming closed on me. I broke my reacher & badly dented my coffee cups the same way & my saddlebag is TORN from getting caught in the door. Not a lot of people use this entrance particularly in the off season so if I should fall – or worse – it would be RANDOM when help would arrive.

There is another whole issue with my Service Dog, which is equally ridiculous, but irrelevant here.

What I am talking about & hope someone can answer is – how can Lido Towers justify spending $18 MILLION to repair & renovate a building & grounds & exclude handicapped residents?