News

Actions

Handicapped woman blocked from building her own wheelchair ramp

Posted at 7:09 PM, Mar 07, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-08 15:10:14-05

For Ann Arbor resident Sarah Tankson, it's the little things that present the most challenge. At 51 years old, Tankson is struggling with a neurological disorder called Dystonia that's left her bound to a wheelchair.

And she's facing it all without the help of a ramp.

When we met her a month ago, she showed us what it takes to simply enter her front door. She's forced to literally crawl on her hands and knees.

Tankson doesn't have the money to cover the costs of a wheelchair accessible residence, so instead, she rented a place at Randolph Court Apartments in Ann Arbor.

After highlighting that reality in a Channel 7 story, a gracious donor willing to build the ramp eventually came forward.

But just as he was ready to get construction underway, the apartment complex stepped in and blocked the proposal.

The company gave absolutely no reasoning, so our Taking Action team paid the apartment's management company, Group Five, a visit.

But they declined to comment and immediately asked us to leave.

Later, Michael Tobin, of Group Five issued us a statement saying “We are exploring options to accommodate Ms. Tankson and are open minded about finding the best solution.”

In the meantime, Tankson says that as a disabled person, it's her right to build the ramp, and she's willing to take legal action to see that it happens.