Emma Aguirre lives in the 5100 block of Blue Ridge Drive in Northeast El Paso. She has worked with city officials to improve access to sidewalks and better street lights. Any glitch in the sidewalk could send wheelchair users out into the street. (Rudy Gutierrez / El Paso Times)

Like many El Pasoans active in the community, Northeast resident Emma Aguirre hits the streets to talk to her neighbors about their concerns, and has gone as far as collecting signatures from those wanting more street lights, better sidewalks and police patrols.

But unlike some El Pasoans, Aguirre, who is paralyzed on the left side of her body, uses a motorized wheelchair, and has counted about 15 other residents who are also disabled and require a wheelchair to get around.

"Until you're in a wheelchair, you can't understand the needs of our community," said Aguirre, who has used a wheelchair for about six years. "We have a lot of needs in this area."

Aguirre has reached out to city officials like West-Central city Rep. Susie Byrd and Northeast city Rep. Melina Castro, and representatives from the city's Streets Department, to get curb cuts, or sidewalk ramps, installed along Blue Ridge Drive, where Aguirre has lived for about 30 years. Although the curb cuts have made it easier for Aguirre to travel through her neighborhood, she said a lot more still needs to be done before she can feel safe navigating her motorized wheelchair through the streets.

"I travel 12 blocks to pick up my medicines from Walgreens (near Diana Drive and Dyer Street), and sometimes I have to use driveways to go from one sidewalk to another, or sometimes the cars are blocking the sidewalk and I have to go into the street," Aguirre said.

After complaining about the lack of curb cuts to city officials, Aguirre took Byrd and a streets engineer on a tour through the neighborhood.

"When you begin to look at it, you realize how many barriers and hurdles there are," Byrd said. "The sidewalks in this neighborhood are really narrow. Even with one glitch you have to move onto the grass, which is hard to do, or out into the street."

Sometimes Aguirre has to travel after sundown by herself since her husband isn't able to drive after dark. Because of this, Aguirre has noticed a lack of street lighting in the area, which is dangerous, especially when she has to maneuver onto Diana Drive, a busy thoroughfare.

"I risk getting hit by cars," Aguirre said. "It's very dark along that street."

Castro said she has spoken to Aguirre about her concerns involving portions of Castro's district, including an entrance to the Northpark Mall parking lot that is in bad condition. Castro said that sidewalk accessibility and fixing the city-owned portion of the mall entrance will be addressed by the end of the year.

Some disabled residents feel that the city isn't doing enough to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act, which was passed July 26, 1990.

"The city is supposed to have already complied with it, but they've been very behind in making the city accessible," said Luis Enrique Chew, executive director for the Volar Center for Independent Living, which advocates for the rights of people with disabilities.

Chew, who has used a wheelchair for 27 years, said the city has an ADA coordinator who has to compete with other community organizations for Community Development Block Grant funds, and that, sometimes, people with disabilities have to wait until funding is available before accessibility improvements can be made.

"I believe that the city should have a line item in the budget to comply with the ADA, because right now we're competing with funding for other purposes," Chew said.

However, accessibility around the city has improved over the past two decades, said Central resident Michael Rodriguez, 52, who has used a wheelchair for 27 years.

"In my area, they (the city) fixed it up real nice with bike lanes and curb cuts, so it's easier for me," said Rodriguez, who is active at Volar. "We're getting there. Compared to 25 years ago, things are a lot better now."

Adriana M. Chávez may be reached at achavez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6117.