MENG AND KRISHNAN UNVEIL ACCESSIBILITY RAMP AT JACKSON HEIGHTS POST OFFICE

QUEENS, N.Y. – U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) and New York City Council Member Shekar Krishnan (D-Queens) unveiled the completion of an accessibility ramp at the main entrance of the Jackson Heights Post Office in Queens. 

Building the ramp has long been a priority to Jackson Heights residents, and Meng, Krishnan, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Queens), and other local lawmakers pushed for it to be installed. The new ramp will make it easier for many in the area to use the Post Office including disabled individuals, seniors, and those with strollers.

The construction of the ramp began at the end of May and the project also includes an expanded garden space. Meng and Krishnan commemorating the ramp’s completion also coincides with the same week as the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Postal Service long held that it could not build the ramp due to the historic preservation status of the Post Office. The agency also said that since the building predates the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, which requires federal facilities to be accessible to people with disabilities, it was exempt from accessibility upgrade requirements. But thanks to advocacy from members of the community and with the help of the United States Access Board, the ramp was approved after alterations were made to the stairs at the side entrance of the building.

“Installing this ramp has been a long time coming and it will allow more people in the community to have equal access to their local post office, something to which everybody is entitled,” said Congresswoman Meng. “I am proud to have fought for this needed addition to the building, and I’m thrilled that it is finally happening. It was unacceptable that the lack of a ramp created an unnecessary hurdle for many residents. Now, individuals with disabilities will have easier access to this facility. Now, seniors will be able to enter and exit the building with less difficulty. Now, those pushing strollers will no longer be forced to pick up and lug these carriages over steps. Now, it will be less hazardous for people carrying boxes or other items that they’re seeking to mail. It will make things safer and more convenient for all. It should not have taken this long to do. However, I’m grateful that we are finally here, and I am excited to see the ramp benefit those in the neighborhood for many years to come.”

“My office, in collaboration with Jackson Heights residents and local leaders, has long fought for USPS to make the neighborhood post office accessible to everyone, including people with mobility devices, seniors, and parents with strollers,” said Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez. “It took years to ensure that everyone in our community could simply send and receive their mail, but we never gave up. Thanks to the advocacy of constituents like Ms. Beverly Carroll and the enforcement efforts of the United States Access Board, we did it. Thank you to our village of community partners, allies and leaders.”

“For decades, the Jackson Heights Post Office has been inaccessible, wrongfully denying entrance to so many of our neighbors,” said Council Member Krishnan. “My office was proud to work with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Congresswoman Grace Meng, and constituents over the years to right that wrong. Now, Jackson Heights community residents, including neighbors with disabilities, parents with strollers, and individuals with heavy packages, can enter the Post Office using the same front doors as everyone else. They no longer have to visit accessible post offices in other neighborhoods or dodge trucks to get to the back entrance of ours. We’re especially thrilled that this project did not come at the cost of losing green space beloved by our community. We’ve been able to work with the Post Office to create a new, even bigger community garden maintained by residents. Today, Jackson Heights is a more accessible and greener neighborhood to live in.”

“Being part of a community means being able to access all spaces equally,” said Dr. Sachin Dev Pavithran, Executive Director of the U.S. Access Board. “When spaces are made accessible, they benefit everyone. This project is a testament to community advocacy, accessibility, and creating greener spaces that everyone can enjoy.”

“You have heard the story of how Jackson Heights waited nearly 100 years for full access,” said Beverly Carroll, a Jackson Heights resident who advocated for the ramp. “It was never for lack of trying. I consider myself fortunate to have a role in the process that brings us together today to celebrate.” 

“As a Jackson Heights resident, wheelchair user, and member of the disability community, I’m proud that the Jackson Heights Post office is finally accessible thanks to the work of Council Member Shekar Krishnan, Congresswoman Grace Meng, and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,” said David Friedman,an advocate for accessible infrastructure and a teacher at P.S. 69. “For more than one decade, my only way to access my PO Box was to go up the rear loading dock ramp, ring a bell, and wait for someone to help me. Now, I, and other members of the disability community, can access the PO just like everyone else.” 

"The Jackson Heights Beautification Group has proudly been caring for and beautifying our shared public spaces for the past 38 years,” said Leslie Ellman, President of the Jackson Heights Beautification Group. “Over 10 years ago we spearheaded this garden transformation right here at the Post Office by planting native and pollinating plants and funding the installation of an irrigation system. We have also simultaneously advocated for a ramp to be installed here at the Post Office, and we are so excited to celebrate this vital improvement and to get back in the expanded garden and continue to lead in the creation of a pollinator pathway right here in Jackson Heights." 

The Jackson Heights Post Office is located at 78-02 37^th Avenue. The ramp was unveiled this past Monday.