Florida – Clash over wheelchair access dims hopes for dream home

By Laura Kinsler | Tampa Tribune Staff
Published: March 21, 2014

One would think that HOA meetings would require that they be handicapped accessible or provide provisions and accommodations.  Guess what?  No is it the answer.  Should those who are wheelchair bound or have difficulty walking be excluded from “open” HOA meetings just because of their physical impairment?  What if that person was you?

DADE CITY — When Kim and John Whitt bought their house in Bayhead Landings five years ago, they thought they were getting their dream home.

The cheerful yellow house sat on 5 acres in one of the most tranquil settings in Pasco County. It faced Lake Hancock, and the lot had room for Kim’s vegetable garden. They could sit on the lanai and breathe in the scent of orange blossoms from the nearby groves. The wide-open floor plan was easy for John to navigate as he transitioned to life in a wheelchair following a horrific car crash.

The Whitts looked forward to getting involved in the neighborhood association, but the warm welcome they hoped for evaporated when their request to move the meeting site escalated into a costly legal battle. To read more: http://tbo.com/pasco-county/clash-over-wheelchair-access-dims-hopes-for-dream-home-20140321/

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