BOSTON -- Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A colonial-style brick walkway is quintessential New England for some, but for others it can be a mobility nightmare.

Is Boston placing aesthetics over access?

Team 5's Sean Kelly reported that Newbury Street is one of Boston's most popular destinations, but for John Kelly, navigating it by wheelchair can be treacherous.

There are many stores that are both upstairs and downstairs and Kelly said he assumes he just can't go to anything.

He said that many of the curbs also have significant bumps that can give quite a jolt to someone in a wheelchair. There are also curb ramps some distance from the cross walks, which can force people in wheelchairs out into traffic.

But Kelly said the most hazardous part of the Boston landscape is the bricks.

"We see brick, we go in the street, we just avoid it. And then we end up risking our lives," Kelly said.

The American Disabilities Act of 1992 requires full access for the disabled. But, as part of Boston's beautification plan, taxpayers are footing the bill for new bricks with an old historic look. They're rough, uneven, easily displaced and, Kelly said, an obstacle course for the mobility- impaired.

"That's enough to make a cane-user trip," he said.

Kelly said Boston officials don't listen. He asked the city to repair a bumpy stretch of bricks installed along Huntington Avenue in 2003. They were repaired after he appealed to the state's Architectural Access Board.

Steve Spinetto is the city's commissioner for persons with disabilities.

"The community that's upset is upset about the brick but, as I said, there's no prohibition against it," Spinetto said.

The disabled community said either don't use brick at all or compromise. Instead of using the old-style brick that's rough and often comes right out of the ground, use newer brick that's smoother and readily available on the market.

But Spinetto said said many projects call for the old-style brick and added that competing interests and long-standing contracts complicate matters.

"Some of these contracts were set a long time ago. It would costs millions of dollars to change from one brick to the other," Spinetto said.

Liz Casey said it's about more than brick. It's about a change in attitude. In Roslindale Square, concrete steps keep her out of most stores and new construction is designed strictly for the able-bodied.

"I was shocked when I saw this, to tell you the truth. Beautiful patio, this is a wonderful renovation and all they need to do is put a little ramp and people with wheelchairs or strollers can easily access the area -- and I do believe that it's the law," Casey said.

Team 5 described the area to the commissioner. He agreed it was probably non-compliant and said he would look into it. Kelly and Casey said Boston needs to look at the bigger picture.

"The money is there. The money is there to beautify and improve neighborhoods and why not do it in a compromised way that really will work for everybody?" Casey said.