Woman Raises Disability Access Concerns at the Premier Center

Leaving the Denny Sanford Premier Center can be quick and efficient down the stairs and out the door, but for a woman who walks with a cane and needs an elevator, it was a frustration as she and others with mobility issues tried to find and elevator.

Joy Tuscherer has filed a complaint with the Department of Justice after her problems vacating the building after the Bob Seger concert.  After waiting over ten minutes, she gave up on the elevator. "I went over to a woman who was using a motorized wheelchair and I said 'what is going on with the elevator. I went down the emergency stairwell exit with the help of strangers."

She later discovered it had broken down, and reached out to Premier Center officials to get more information. But she was unhappy with the response she got, and that's when she filed the complaint.

Sanford Premier Center General Manager, Terry Torkildson says one of the elevators was broken that night, but  three other elevators were usable on site. "The general public is able to use all of them. One over in the northeast corner is designated as our freight elevator and the primary purpose for that one is freight." Guests can use the freight elevator if they need to.

Torkildson says there is also someone at each elevator to help people with disabilities, as well as four ADA assistants on site to help find seats or assist in other ways.

The ADA coordinator for the city has inspected the Sanford Premier Center in the past, and is now looking into this matter.