Cheyenne Depot's new automatic door increases accessibility

Richey said, “I would get hurt most times I came through the door.”

But thanks to the Depot Museum’s Wyoming Brewers Festival maintenance fund, an accessible, ADA-compliant glass door was unveiled Friday at the main entrance to the Depot and the Cheyenne Depot Museum.

Members of the Mayor’s Council for People with Disabilities and K9s 4 Mobility tested out the door at the unveiling Friday, showing how people with wheelchairs, service animals and impaired vision would be able to more easily enter the building.

Depot Museum Executive Director Christy McCarthy said the new doors open up more opportunities for everyone, visitors and residents alike, to enjoy the history of the Cheyenne Depot.

“We have a vast amount of people that come in, so to make it even more accessible is what we want,” McCarthy said.

The project cost about $50,000, and was paid for with revenue made from the Wyoming Brewers Festival, which is a yearly fundraiser for rehabilitation projects at the Historic Union Pacific Depot.

Due to the high cost of the automatic door, McCarthy said they pooled funding from three of the most recent fundraisers to get it done. She also collaborated with Mayor’s Council for People with Disabilities Chairwoman Patti Riesland and Ward 1 Councilman Pete Laybourn in carrying out the project.

Like many historic buildings in town, the Depot was built long before the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed three decades ago. But historic buildings are not exempt from ADA requirements, except in the rare occasion the alterations would threaten or destroy the historical significance of a building.

Unfortunately, accessibility is still not the reality in many of Cheyenne’s historic locations.

K9’s 4 Mobility Founder Michelle Woerner said, “People with disabilities should be able to enjoy the same things as someone who doesn’t have a disability. But there’s still many stores that you cannot get into downtown.”

In many small businesses and national chains, Woerner said, the shopping conditions tell people with disabilities that they are not wanted there. Going forward, both Woerner and Richey would like to see more money invested in projects like the new door at the Depot, especially at some of the city buildings that still aren’t ADA accessible.

The Mayor’s Council for People with Disabilities has taken on the role of an advocacy group, starting conversations about accessibility for projects like the Depot Plaza Splash Pad and the new Municipal Court building. And while they’ve made strides on a number of new projects in the city, a number of existing problems still persist.

Richey said, “We need to take advantage of any dollars available for this kind of thing to the ultimate level in Cheyenne because this city is 30 years behind the times.”