Nashville Council Backs Citywide Accessibility Audit for Residents With Disabilities

Metro Council has approved a resolution to begin an Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility audit, a review intended to examine how well Nashville serves people with disabilities.

For Kasondra Farmer, a Nashville native and director of engagement for Empower Tennessee, getting around the city can be a challenge. Farmer uses a wheelchair and says she remains active socially. She recently attended a performance of The Wiz at TPAC, which she described as "amazing" with "very Motown vibes."

Farmer spoke on Monday outside her apartment, next to the accessible space where she parks. The space gives her plenty of room to get in and out of her vehicle, but she said that is not always the case elsewhere. "There's a lot of limitations with parking, specifically when you're talking about accessible parking in places like downtown," she said. Parking is one of several issues she hopes the new effort will help resolve.

Council Member Sandy Ewing, who represents the 34th district, is a strong supporter of the audit. She said the first step will be hiring a consultant to study accessibility concerns. Ewing said the city needs collaboration across sectors. "We really need to create a collaboration between Metro Nashville, the business sector, the nonprofit sector; we all need to pull in the same direction," she said.

The audit could lead to updates to existing regulations on a range of topics, including downtown parking, infrastructure and technology.

Dr. Cynthia George, who chairs the disability advocacy group Disabled to the Front, addressed the council about why the audit is needed. She emphasized the importance of ongoing oversight. "Part of this is also making sure there's a process in place for the regular monitoring of ADA provisions," George said.

The effort comes as Nashville has been flagged as a likely host of the 2034 Special Olympics, an event that would bring thousands of athletes with disabilities to the city.

Advocates say the benefits would not be limited to that event. Farmer said improvements would serve people already living in Nashville. "It makes it more accessible for the people who already live here, who already spend their time and money and energy on the city," she said.

Although the council has passed the resolution, some details of the audit are still being determined.