Sanders Announces Handicapped Accessibility Renovations to Baisley Park Community Library

Senator James Sanders Jr. (D-Rochdale Village) today joined with representatives of Queens Library and community leaders in celebrating new renovations which will improve handicapped accessibility at the Baisley Park Community Library.

"We're about to take a library that has been an oasis of knowledge for many different people and open it up to even more people," Sanders said. "Sadly, this library was built at a time when we didn't think about making sure that the disabled could utilize this space also. So, we are going to straighten that out. They are part of our family too, and we want to make sure that everybody in our family is allowed in. We are going to take away every impediment that has prevented the disabled from coming to this library. We as a society have pledged that we are not going to handicap the disabled."

The branch has been allocated nearly a half million dollars from the State Education Department to update the first floor interior of the library and public restrooms to be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and reconfigure its meeting room. The funding was facilitated through the state budget process in which Senator Sanders played a role. It will be dispersed in Spring 2017. 

"We appreciate this investment in our libraries," said Kelvin Watson, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Queens Library. "Libraries have a profound impact on our state and our local communities through the lifelong learning that we provide through our books and through our programs and services.  We have a need to modernize libraries to create world class libraries to meet the ever growing needs and changes of the community."