ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — One St. Petersburg woman is taking action and taking on local governments when it comes to violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and now she's getting results.
Ever since a motorcycle accident in 2002, Kim Rankine hasn't let her disability define her.
"I was in a coma for over a month. I'm lucky to be alive," she said. "Since then, I've been in this wheelchair."
And since then, she's lived a life without limitations. That was until she tried to use the bathroom at Bay Vista Park in St. Pete on one of her weekly walks with her husband.
"I couldn't even go to the restroom," she said. "I couldn't close the stall door with the wheelchair."
Rankine shared pictures showing the stall was so small she couldn't close the door.
"I just feel exposed, like anybody can just walk in, and it's just really embarrassing," she said.
She filed a complaint with the City of St. Pete in March of 2020 with no immediate results. She was so upset that after 13 years, she stepped down from her role on the Community Advocates for Persons with Impairments committee, also known as CAPI.
"I'm going to advocate for the physically challenged disabled in our community," Rankine said with tears in her eyes. "A lot of people just don't understand what we go through."
After years of no results with the City of St. Pete, Rankine opened a case with the Pinellas County Office of Human Rights.
"The Pinellas County Office of Human Rights is committed to protecting all residents of Pinellas County from cases of discrimination in the areas of fair housing, employment, public accommodations, and government programs and assistance," the website read.
After mediation and just five months later, construction on the new, now ADA-compliant bathrooms is nearly complete at Bay Vista Park. Rankine thanked workers laying down sod and putting on the finishing touches at the park Tuesday.
"I just want business and the government to comply with federal law," she said.
Jeffery Lorick, director of the Pinellas County Office of Human Rights, sent a statement to ABC Action News Tuesday afternoon that reads as follows.
"The Pinellas County Office of Human Rights is committed to protecting all residents of Pinellas County from cases of discrimination. Our dedicated investigative staff strives to deliver outstanding customer service by resolving cases through mediation and conciliation rather than going through the court system. Thanks to our partnership with St. Petersburg, we helped close this case with a practical solution that gives people with disabilities equal access to use the restrooms at one of the most popular public parks in St. Pete."
Rankine has filed other complaints and opened up cases with the Pinellas County Office of Human Rights, including making the bathrooms at Treasure Island Municipal Beach ADA-compliant. Rankin said she was told that the project is set to be done next year.
"When I see a wrong, I'm going to correct it because they need to comply with the law."
