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Jun 18 2008
Americans with Disabilities Act to be Revamped in the Name of Liberty
Image by tshirthell.com
According to a report this morning by NPR’s Joseph Shapiro, Congress well be revamping the Americans with Disabilities Act 20 years after it was first drafted during the first Bush administration in 1988. It was put into law in 1990 and since then has ensured protection and accessibility in all public venues built in the past two decades to a countless many citizens including myself.
Apparently though, the current laws are are unclear as it pertains to many other disabilities epilepsy, mental illness and yes, even in one case of muscular dystrophy. The radiocast tells the story of Kerry, a career electrician who was turned down by General motors after a physical revealed that Kerry’s mild form of the disease kept him from holding his arm directly over head. Kerry tells how he quit his job and relocated his family only to end up unemployed and defending his case in court.
It’s quite needless for me to say that Kerry’s story upset me. But all in all, this is a positive step. Also,I’ve been to other parts of the world and I have to think that our disability laws in the US are the best on the planet. If you’ve ever been shut out of a venue due to your disability or have had to be carried though a subway terminal, you’ll know what I’m feeling. These things are least likely to happen in America (though things are not perfect) and I’m overall very proud of US policies on this issue. This revision and reformation is likely to go through by next month according to the report and can only bring positive upgrades in public awareness where those actively living with disabilities are concerned in my view. We are mostly just like able-bodied folks. We hold jobs, we have families, go out, play sports, make babies… etcetera. Some of us may have more or fewer limitations than others, but the point is that in the United States of America where every person has an inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, it’s just the right thing to do. Good Job, Washington!
For text and audio go to http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91625706
I think it’s great that the ADA is so agressive, but at the same time recognizes the challenges for businesses, and only requires that its standards be met on new construction or when there are already major structural changes taking place. Yes, it increases the costs of construction and renovations, BUT it also waits until companies are already planning on using huge amounts of capital.
Seeing that handicap parking sign really made me giggle. You should get that t shirt.
Thank you for the thought-provoking post. My concern regarding the ADA is that it might have unintended consequences that actually result in the disabled being treated in a *worse* fashion than they otherwise might have been. As an economist, I am highly skeptical of all government “solutions” to social problems, such as discrimination against or lack of accommodation for the disabled.
I am interested in your comments on the Penn & Teller B. S. episode regarding the ADA. There is some rude language employed there, but I am quite sympathetic to the arguments being made therein, especially by some of the disabled interviewees who oppose the ADA. Perhaps a response to this episode might be a fitting topic for a subsequent post of yours:
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFNfY7fHQnM
There are two more parts to this episode, which once existed on YouTube and might still exist. I will post them here if I find them again.