Palm Beach family fights condo association to get disabled son access to beach 

Article and Video Courtesy CBS Channel 12, Palm Beach

By Michael Buczyner

Published August 12, 2013

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PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A Palm Beach family continues it fight against a condominium association to get their disabled son access to the beach.

13-year-old Justin Weiss is confined to his wheelchair after a near drowning at the age of two.

But now, the family is faced with another battle, getting Justin from their beach-side condo at Sloans Curve in Palm Beach, down to the beach. His parents, Jeffery and Judith Weiss told us it’s Justin’s only salvation.

But standing in the way of Justin and the beach is a staircase. A clearing between sea grapes the

family once used to get him down to the beach is also gone.

The Weiss family tells CBS 12 News that they asked the condo board to install a ramp when the board was considering replacing the steps but instead the family claims they were met with an unfavorable response. 

   

“They said no, were not putting in a ramp that we’re in charge and you’re not in charge,” Jeffrey Weiss said.

Angry with the response, the family took the issue to Federal Court and the Palm Beach County Office of Equal Opportunity. The county office told the family there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the condo association violated housing laws or discriminated against the family. A federal judge ruled in favor of the condo association this past April as well.

   
The association president told us over the phone federal regulations prevent a ramp from being built on the dunes, but the family pledges to continue to fight to get Justin to the beach.
  

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