Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson and District 11 City Council Member Eric Dinowitz were at New York Public Library’s Wakefield branch on Sept. 3 to present a check for $360,000 for infrastructure upgrades and increased accessibility for people with disabilities.

 

Speaking at the event at 4100 Lowerre Place, Gibson said, “This investment reflects our collective commitment to ensuring that every resident can fully access and benefit from all of our libraries.” Gibson and Dinowitz will each provide $180K in funding from their respective offices to complete the upgrades, which will include an accessible, ADA- (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant entrance on the main floor and an ADA upgrade to the restroom near the entrance.

 

Gibson added “Right here in The Bronx, our libraries are essential resources for education, personal growth, and community engagement. They provide access to a wealth of information and offer vital services that really extend beyond what traditional libraries have always been about. For many of our educational programs, job training, cultural celebrations, digital resources, our libraries are really critical in empowering individuals to strengthen our communities.”

Gibson continued, “The true value of our libraries extends beyond fostering inclusivity, creativity, and accessibility. Every person, every New Yorker, every resident should have equal access to our libraries. That is why making libraries accessible is not just a priority, but it’s really a moral obligation that we all have, and a civic responsibility.”

 

Initial City budget plans included a proposed slashing of $58 million from public library funding across the city but the proposed cuts were finally restored following lobbying by various pressure groups and arguments made by various elected officials, including Dinowitz. Of the Wakefield library, Dinowitz said, “This is a really special place, this library, and in the City Council, we believe that all of our libraries are very special. That is why we fought tooth and nail to ensure that this year, our libraries were not cut.”

 

The councilman added, “So often in our city, we know that our resources aren’t truly accessible to everyone, so we look around the city. There are people with disabilities who can’t access the great resources our libraries have, but it’s not just people with disabilities. We know the disability community is at the forefront of ensuring accessibility, and there are many other communities who reap the benefits.”

 

Dinowitz mentioned parents with strollers, those with physical injuries, and older adults as examples of individuals who benefit from increased accessibility. The check presentation concluded with Gibson and Dinowitz taking a tour of the library.

 

Chantae Albright, who has been the Wakefield library’s manager for five years, told the Norwood News, “This is an opportunity, with the ADA project coming on, for more people to be able to enter to utilize our resources and participate in the programs we have.”

 

Wakefield Library was built in 1938 and was designed by architect Thomas Dunn. The library has two floors, with the first floor holding the main reading room and collections, and the ground floor containing the library’s program rooms. The library does currently have an exterior accessible entrance, but officials say it lacks an intermediary landing.

According to the Center for Independence of the Disabled (CIDNY) New York, in New York City, as of June 2011, there were 889,219 people living with disabilities, representing 11 percent of the population. The Bronx, at 13.7 percent, had the highest percentage of people living with disabilities relative to its population of all five boroughs, while Brooklyn and Queens had the highest actual numbers of people with disabilities.

 

Albright said, “We do have a ramp but it’s kind of difficult. Staff will have to go downstairs and open the door so this will be a great opportunity and make it easier for our patrons to come in.”

Dawn Chance, associate director for East Bronx Libraries said, “Libraries are free and welcoming resources for all New Yorkers. Patrons of all ages rely on their local libraries for resources and services that enrich their lives, whether for traditional services, such as book borrowing and computer use, or to participate in our programs, from early literacy programs for our youngest readers that foster lifelong learning.”

 

*Síle Moloney contributed to this story.