Scranton Castle residents board The People’s University on Wheels
by Jerleen Justus

(Plain Press, July 2010) June 15, 2010, a thirty-two foot Cleveland Public Library’s mobile bus, The People’s University on Wheels, rolled up to the sidewalk in front of the Scranton-Castle at 2000 Scranton Road and opened it's doors. While some residents had reservations that the mobile unit would actually show up, others were anxiously waiting to climb aboard and take a look inside.

It was Alma Bonom's first view inside a library in more than ten years. "This is great," she said as she rolled up to be the first one lifted up into the big blue bus. Due to walking impairments and disabilities many of the 160 low-income and elderly residents living at the CMHA complex must either rely on canes, walkers, scooters or wheelchairs for every aspect of their daily living.

As Mobile Service Manager, Linda Sperry, operated the remote controlled wheelchair apparatus lifting each of the handicapped residents up into a whorl of books, movies, CDs, DVDs, on-board internet access and other reading material, Community Outreach Manager, Chrystal Carr Jeter, assisted the library visitors in making selections, answering questions and handing down material that was out of reach.

For several years, residents and members of the Old Tremont Block Club have complained, written letters and attempted to solicit the help of local politicians for their assistance in gaining handicap accessibility to the Library's South Branch located at 3096 Scranton Road to no avail.

October 29, 2010, approximately twenty of the handicapped residents attended the Tremont West Development Corporation’s sponsored community forum for the purpose of pleading their cause. As the questions of how to gain handicap accessibility to the South Branch Library rang out, each political hopeful, including Mayor Frank Jackson, stated they would get right on it.

Even this public campaign rally, which took place in a room at St. Michael’s School building, 3146 Scranton Road, offered only one entrance to the mass meeting place which consisted of a narrow steep stairway. Having no prior knowledge of the lack of handicap accessibility, this not only created undue stress and hardship on the walking impaired but forced wheelchair bound citizens to return home.

The lack of handicap accessibility at the Cleveland Public Library’s South Branch location became even more of a burden in February 2010, when the RTA Bus 23 was discontinued. Being that most of these handicap residents relied on public transportation, it became even more essential that they attain access to the library on the corner of Scranton and Clark.

Their limited world became even smaller when they suffered the loss of a shared DSL internet service as the result of depleted funds which had been provided by grant monies obtained through their local block club.

Not willing to face defeat, in April 2010, the Old Tremont Block Club Co-Chairs Lena Jackson and Julia Smith made contact with a neighboring Ward 3 coalition community out-reach individual and a new plan was put into action.

A letter detailing the lack of handicap services, as per the American Disabilities Act of 1990, was forwarded to Cleveland Public Library Officials, U.S. Dept. of Justice, the Governor's Civil Rights Commission, NAACP, Mayor Jackson, Ward 14 Councilmen Brian Cummins and Ward 3 Councilman Joe Cimperman among others. This notification served as a prod in bringing attention to the handicap discrimination being heaped on these long suffering members of the community living within the boundaries of the Tremont West Development Corporation’s service area.

Plans were soon underway, not only for collaborative designs and suggestions that would turn the historic 100 year old English Gothic building into a handicap accessible facility, but also for a short term blueprint that would bring "The People's University on Wheels," to the disabled Ward 14 Tremont Scranton-Castle inhabitants.

On May 24, 2010, a team of Cleveland Public Library executives entertained a captive audience gathered in the Main Floor Conference Room of the Scranton-Castle Complex. Information and phone numbers were provided in both English and Spanish, detailing the many services available to handicap individuals including programs and services for the vision impaired.

Some residents were elated to hear that the homebound services were readily available and that their favorite book, DVD or music selection was only a phone call away. They were even more surprised to learn that requested material would be UPS delivered right to the door and a return UPS pick up service would also be provided at no cost.

Library Director Felton Thomas informed the group that mobile services would begin in June and make regular visits at three-week intervals throughout the summer.

The wheelchair lift wasn't the only access to the bus. The mobile library also provided steps and handrails for those who were able to ambulate. Lena Jackson stated that some of her friends from another CMHA Complex were making inquiries into having the bus come to their location.

While some checked out books and movies, others took the opportunity to just browse and ask for information. Stepping down from the mobile library, one of the browsers stated, "I don't see why we couldn't have had this a long time ago.”

Second District Commander Keith Sulzer did a drive-by, giving his approval for the bus' street parking location and curbside accessibility.

The mobile library not only provides services for the handicapped, it is open and available for use by anyone wishing to take advantage of the programs it brings into the neighborhood.

Having made her selections and being lowered back to the sidewalk, Old Tremont Block Club Co-Chair Lena Jackson turned, gazed at Cleveland's Public Mobile Library and said, "This is such a gift."

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