Disabled man's complaint prompts series of changes in Johnson County

Johnson County has changed how it works with disabled people after a man unhappy with the way he was treated filed a federal complaint.

Bill Shaw, 61, recently received a letter from the Justice Department that said his case was closed because the county is making the necessary changes to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act.

The county has:

Placed information on its Web site telling disabled people how to file complaints.

Posted signs at all county clerk offices explaining that assistance is available to the disabled.

Appointed the county's medical examiner, Dr. Arthur Raines, as the ADA coordinator.

Developed a plan to provide employees with sensitivity training for working with the disabled.

Shaw said he is disabled because of a stroke and has difficulty standing for long periods. In his complaint, Shaw said that he had to stand in line on more than one occasion at the Alvarado subcourthouse and that no effort was made to assist him or help him sit down.

"I repeatedly requested to be fairly accommodated. I was not going to be ignored, dissuaded, or dismissed when I had other important matters at hand," Shaw wrote in his complaint.

Shaw said he continued having difficulties when he returned to the subcourthouse to file a grievance.

"I'm not trying to make enemies with anybody, but they can't go above the system," Shaw said.

County Judge Roger Harmon acknowledged that changes were needed to accommodate disabled residents.

"There were some things that we were not aware of, and we needed to correct them," he said. "Ignorance is no excuse. Unfortunately, you learn by error."

Shaw, a retired chemistry teacher, lives on a 117-acre farm between Midlothian and Venus in Ellis County. He owns a building in Alvarado and has family property in Johnson County.

Although Shaw won his case in Johnson County, he said he will pursue complaints against other governmental entities to ensure that the disabled are treated equally.

"I've won the battle, but not the war," he said.