Several braille bathroom signs have been torn down around Village Quad, according to a Sept. 1 email to Village residents from Village and 567 Area Coordinator Craig Lutz. The Department of Community Living will be purchasing replacement signs.

In an email to the Justice, Lutz wrote that the current signage was installed last year after a similar incident in early fall 2015. He added that the feedback that DCL has received in the aftermath of the incident suggests that the vandalism is “a matter of convenience and a desire to not walk to the designated bathroom.”

“From the limited feedback we have received, apart from petty vandalism, there may be some sense of frustration with bathroom location/assignments behind these acts,” Lutz wrote in his email to Village residents. “We invite our community to address such issues with us positively and proactively. You are welcome to suggest alternative placement of our bathroom options, but damaging our building cannot be tolerated.”

According to Lutz, the cost of replacing the signs varies from case to case, depending on the significance of the damage to the underlying walls and paint. While the signs can cost between $10 to $35, he wrote, wall repairs run between $50 for slight damage and $150 for significant damage. “While we are always reluctant to have all residents incur fees for cost created by a few individuals, any future damage after these repairs will require community charges,” Lutz wrote in his email to Village residents.

The replacement signs, he added, will remain compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. “We work with Facilities Services and only order signage that is fully compliant with all ADA regulations and building codes,” he wrote.

—Abby Patkin. Max Moran contributed reporting