Man's tumble triggers changes in Naperville's council chambers
Naperville's city council chambers will be made more handicapped accessible after a man in a motorized wheelchair narrowly avoided serious injury in front of stunned councilmen.
City Manager Doug Krieger said he has begun planning some accessibility improvements and an extension of a railing along the raised platform in front of the council dais in response to the accident, which occurred during Tuesday's meeting.
Several members of the city's Advisory Commission on Disabilities and area students, who despite their disabilities have paying and volunteer jobs in the community, had gathered at the meeting to join Councilman Doug Krause to declare October National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
The proceedings took an abrupt turn, however, when an adult commission member accidentally drove his motorized wheelchair over the side of the platform that stands about 18 inches high in front of the dais. The chair tipped over and the man was thrown to the ground, narrowly missing striking his head on a table.
The man, who was uninjured, was helped back into his chair by Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis and joined his fellow commissioners on the platform as he received an ovation from the audience.
“Whatever we end up doing is going to be in response to that very unfortunate accident that happened last night,” Krieger said Wednesday. “Although we were very happy to hear from the individual that we was doing fine today and even last night after the meeting.”
The improvements are expected to be completed before the council's next meeting in early November.
Mayor George Pradel, who was one of several council, audience and media members who rushed to the man's aid, said the accident scared him and he would like to see the rail extended as soon as possible.
“That was the first time I've ever seen anything like it. I just wanted to jump over the counter and go after him,” Pradel said. “It really concerns me that he could just go right over like that.”
Pradel and several officials said they received an e-mail from the man Wednesday morning, informing them he was OK and even joking about his “grand entrance” into the council chambers.
“I was very pleased to get that note and know he was in good shape and taking the incident in stride,” Councilman Dick Furstenau said. “And God bless he wasn't hurt in any way.”
According to its charter, the Advisory Commission on Disabilities serves to assist, inform and advise the administrative and elected officials of the city on all matters pertaining to discrimination against individuals with disabilities.
Congress has designated each October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month to increase the public's awareness of the contributions and skills of American workers with disabilities. Various programs carried out throughout the month also highlight the specific employment barriers that still need to be addressed and removed.