Post office gets ramp after long legal fight
SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — The sound of construction echoes on East Washington Street as the post office is finally getting a ramp installed at the front door.
It comes after a long legal fight between the U.S. Postal Service and Shellie Ellison, who has been wheelchair-bound for 27 years due to a neurological condition.
Ellison told I-Team 8 the construction wasn’t just a win for her — it’s a win for anyone in Shelbyville that would benefit from having a ramp at this post office.
“There’s a lot of people that will benefit from not having to walk up and down a crazy steep amount of stairs,” Ellison said.
She started having problems accessing the post office almost a decade ago. Soon, she’ll be able to go inside like everybody else.
“Did you ever think it was going to happen,” asked I-Team 8 reporter Kody Fisher.
“No. It’s kind of shocking really because it’s been such a long time of trying to get it changed. I personally have been dealing with this for about 9 years. As far as the lawsuit being involved it’s been about four years,” Ellison said.
The fight has been worth it.
She wants other people to be inspired by her journey to make the world a more accessible place.
“If you come across something that you’re struggling with, that you feel like isn’t right, don’t just give up,” Ellison said.
I-Team 8 reached out to the U.S. Postal Service for comment on why they contested the ramp in court, but they have not yet responded to our request.