Faced with an inaccessible space, Denver City Council member Chris Hinds said he had to get out of his wheelchair and crawl onto the debate stage earlier this week.
At statement Wednesday, Hinds described the “public humiliation” of leaving the wheelchair when trying to participate in the debate of the City Council, which took place there at the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance school.
“The lack of wheelchair accessibility on stage at the debate led to an unfortunate result: I had to get out of my wheelchair and try to crawl onto the stage in front of the crowd,” he said.
According to NBC News, the debate resumed after it was moved to the floor so Hinds could participate. But photos circulated on social media of council members trying to access the stage.
Denver Clerk Paul López said in a statement that he apologized for how the debate turned out.
“People often think that there IS [Americans with Disabilities Act] address accessibility issues, but this is a stark reminder that serious issues remain,” Hinds said. “For a city that cares about equity, we need disability representation on City Council.”
Hinds, who has been an outspoken and outspoken advocate for accessibility since being elected in 2019, also took issue with the debate.
In his statement, Hinds said he was not initially notified by organizers or the clerk’s office about the event, which was scheduled to take place in conjunction with the weekly council meeting.
Hinds said he was informed of the debate. But he said the clerk’s office told his campaign he was “legally required to participate” or contribute $125,000 in the Fair Elections Fund, a type of campaign financing. As he looked at the inaccessible space on Monday, Hinds said he had to “choose to preserve the viability of his campaign or his dignity on stage.”
López, the city clerk, said the claim that Hinds was not informed of the event was “simply false,” adding that the debate was confirmed in December and details have been made public since then.
Hinds was the first elected official in Denver to use a wheelchair. At tweet On Thursday, he renewed his pledge to push for accessibility and thanked supporters for speaking out about similar experiences.
“While it’s exciting that stories like these continue to be told more than 30 years after the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed … I will continue to support the freedoms afforded through accessibility, now and for the rest of my life,” he said.