The Woodstock Inn’s Werner Graef has contacted Woodstock Early Bird to clarify several points concerning people with disabilities access at the Resort.
In a post yesterday we featured a photo of a loading dock entrance to the Inn having been told by a wheelchair bound local that this was the only accessible entrance for dining, drinks or staying at the Inn. The context was the wider discussion of formal complaints against several businesses made by an ADA activist who visited Woodstock last June on vacation and who, by his own account, experienced access issues throughout the Village.
Mr. Graef states that the Woodstock Inn and Resort is fully compliant with all ADA (Americans with Disabilities) requirements. He says there are, in fact, a number of routes that a person in a wheelchair may take to gain access to the public areas of the Inn. A person can enter through the South Street side, through the garage and then via elevator or a person may enter through a pathway between the new Spa and one wing of the building. There is also garden-level access to the Conference Room level and then elevator access to the main floors of the Inn. In fact, Graef says an elevator was put into the re-modelled South Wing a few years ago to specifically address ADA issues.
In the specific case of complaints made by Attorney Edward Kopelson, the Inn says it has no record of Mr. Kopelson staying there — at least checked in under that last name. That issue aside, Mr. Kopelson did note that during a stay late last June that he was offered by a concierge to be shuttled via Woodstock Inn van to a local eatery. However, Mr. Graef says the Inn does have a shuttle van but it only goes on a a specific route and does not provide service to other parts of the Village. Nonetheless, Mr. Kopelson did say he was not able to get into a van due to the lack of a wheel-chair lift. Mr. Graef says under ADA statute, the Inn is not required to have such a lift on a shuttle van with limited seating. More seating in a shuttle van of that type and the law requires does require such a lift.
While we have seen paperwork filed by Mr. Kopelson filed with the Vermont Human Rights Commission specifically addressing the van issue, we have seen nothing further on whether the complaint is still being considered or has been dismissed.
The Vermont Human Rights Commission’s Robert Appel responded to a request for information from Woodstock Early Bird stating that while complaints are being considered they are confidential and he could not confirm or deny the consideration of any outstanding complaints concerning Woodstock businesses. Final settlement agreements are made public. However, if complaints to Vermont are “denied”, the names of the parties (businesses) accused remain confidential.
(P.S. Woodstock Early Bird’s perhaps must egregious error in describing the situation at the Woodstock Inn, was to spell Mr. Graef’s first name incorrectly. For the record: It is spelled W-E-R-N-E-R. We apologize for the error! We promise to pull two truck tires on Mr. Graef’s behalf the next time we attend “Boot Camp” with him…)
Julia Carlisle
Woodstock Early Bird 