Oklahoma City is being investigated as part of the Department of Justice's Project Civic Access. There are currently more than 150 PCA agreements on file, and every state has been visited, some more than once, including Oklahoma.
"If I get stuck, I have a really good voice and, you know, really good cell phone and go, 'Hey guys! I'm stuck! Come get me out!'" says Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services Administrative Technician Anna Henderson.
The DOJ is making sure residents like Henderson aren't stuck. She copes with cerebral palsy.
"I've had two knee surgeries and two leg surgeries, so with each knee surgery, it's getting more and more difficult for me to move around," says Henderson.
She does say Oklahoma City is doing pretty well on its own.
"In the 20 years I've lived here, I've seen more curb cuts, more slanted walkways, says Henderson. "I'm thankful for that."
The city had a consultant put out a report last year to see what changes needed to occur. Officials say it's much more detailed than what the DOJ is doing.
"One of the biggest things they'll be looking out at the parks is accessible parking," says Oklahoma City General Services Director Paula Falkenstein. "We may have some areas that the sign-age needs to be replaced or the symbol needs to be repainted."
For the DOJ not every building has to be compliant, only every program, but the DOJ does get specific with some things.
"We have a lot of little things," says Falkenstein.
Little things like the height of drinking fountains and the weight of bathroom doors.
"I heard one [DOJ official] say this morning that it takes eight pounds of pressure to open the bathroom door," says Falkenstein. "Well, ideally it should take five pounds."
Making these changes comes at a price, but city officials and Henderson agree it's well worth it.
"All we want to have is, in the end, a choice like everyone else," says Henderson.
City officials guess the cost of these little fixes will be between $5 million and $6 million and will take about three years. For things like curb ramps, though, that could take decades because they're changed when the roads and sidewalks need to be fixed.
About 250 public facilities are in Oklahoma City. Officials believe the DOJ will check about 150 of those. They'll be here until April 18 and then return in May to wrap things up.
