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Florida condo disabilities: What's required of community associations on disabled residents - Sun Sentinel
Is your condominium community friendly to hearing-impaired residents? Or prepared to accommodate owners who are blind, use a wheelchair or affected by other disabilities at the next board meeting or social event?
If not, it could land your condo or homeowners community in legal hot water and in violation of federal fair housing laws.
The issue is at the center of a dispute involving Century Village of Pembroke Pines and an owner who is deaf.
According to a lawsuit filed in federal court, owner Joe Piasek is unable to benefit from hurricane safety seminars, owner meetings or even the plays produced in the community theater because Century Village will not provide him with a professional sign language interpreter. The community association said it does what it can to provide accommodations as required by law, court documents show.
That may sound like a grand demand until you learn the details about Piasek's complete deafness — and how both sides in this unfortunate battle appear to be trying their best to deal with a tough situation and yet could not avoid landing in court.
"I believe hurricane safety is important and I wanted to attend. I want to go to the plays, the parties," said Piasek. "I have a right to do that, even if I am deaf. I pay the same fees everyone else pays."
Piasek is a snowbird who lives part of the year in the Century Village of Pembroke Pines third-floor condo unit he inherited five years ago from his mother, who had owned it for the previous 13 years. He is 59 and a retired U.S. Postal Service clerk.
Piasek communicates completely via American Sign Language.
His legal troubles with Century Village began in May 2010, two weeks before the community hosted a hurricane preparedness event featuring local police, firefighters and other professionals. Piasek requested that a sign language interpreter be hired so he could attend and participate.
The association responded by reminding Piasek that the community center is equipped with amplified hearing systems which operate via infrared or FM signal and headsets, according to the lawsuit filed by Piasek against the master association Century Village of Pembroke Pines, the umbrella organization for 32 condo associations at Century Village. Officials at the master association declined to comment for this column.
Court documents show that owners who wish to use the electronic hearing systems must purchase their own accessories.
Is your condominium community friendly to hearing-impaired residents? Or prepared to accommodate owners who are blind, use a wheelchair or affected by other disabilities at the next board meeting or social event?
If not, it could land your condo or homeowners community in legal hot water and in violation of federal fair housing laws.
The issue is at the center of a dispute involving Century Village of Pembroke Pines and an owner who is deaf.
According to a lawsuit filed in federal court, owner Joe Piasek is unable to benefit from hurricane safety seminars, owner meetings or even the plays produced in the community theater because Century Village will not provide him with a professional sign language interpreter. The community association said it does what it can to provide accommodations as required by law, court documents show.
That may sound like a grand demand until you learn the details about Piasek's complete deafness — and how both sides in this unfortunate battle appear to be trying their best to deal with a tough situation and yet could not avoid landing in court.
"I believe hurricane safety is important and I wanted to attend. I want to go to the plays, the parties," said Piasek. "I have a right to do that, even if I am deaf. I pay the same fees everyone else pays."
Piasek is a snowbird who lives part of the year in the Century Village of Pembroke Pines third-floor condo unit he inherited five years ago from his mother, who had owned it for the previous 13 years. He is 59 and a retired U.S. Postal Service clerk.
Piasek communicates completely via American Sign Language.
His legal troubles with Century Village began in May 2010, two weeks before the community hosted a hurricane preparedness event featuring local police, firefighters and other professionals. Piasek requested that a sign language interpreter be hired so he could attend and participate.
The association responded by reminding Piasek that the community center is equipped with amplified hearing systems which operate via infrared or FM signal and headsets, according to the lawsuit filed by Piasek against the master association Century Village of Pembroke Pines, the umbrella organization for 32 condo associations at Century Village. Officials at the master association declined to comment for this column.
Court documents show that owners who wish to use the electronic hearing systems must purchase their own accessories.