School playground

In what some American with Disabilities Act attorneys see as a landmark case, the U.S. Department of Justice and the small northwestern town of North Canaan have come to an agreement regarding making the town's elementary school playground handicapped accessible.

“This is federal law and it has national impact,” said Bonnie Roswig, attorney for the McCue family and a longtime advocate for those with disabilities. “A settlement of this kind relating to a playground is very rare. It will affect children in Kansas, Illinois and California as much as it affects children in Connecticut. I definitely expect other municipalities around the country to be contacting me once the word gets out.”

The settlement between North Canaan and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut requires the North Canaan Elementary School's playground, which is in two sections, be fully ADA compliant by Aug. 31, 2019.