ADA @ 30 -- PART E

TRUTH

If a city -- large, medium or small -- cannot fix, maintain and patrol its sidewalks (the most basic, inexpensive, democratic means of mobility for all people of all incomes & abilities), it has no business:

Paying for pro sports stadiums.

Building shiny things for influential billionaires.

https://kcdisabilityadvocacy.wordpress.com/2015/10/09/the-importance-of-sidewalks/

ADA @ 30 -- PART D

TRUTH

You are a planner/urban designer/transport engineer/architect claiming to make a healthy impact on society. 

But you steadfastly refuse to consider people with disabilities -- who account for upwards of 20% of population -- in your public and private sector designs. 

You cannot make a positive impact if you are refusing to accommodate people with disabilities.

ADA @ 30 -- PART C

TRUTH

Disability is everywhere in nature.

Should we fill in a waterfall because the river is "broken?" 

Should we cement up beloved rock formations because the wind had "disabled the landscape?" 

Disability is natural.

Disability is Diversity.

Diversity is Strength.

ADA @ 30 -- PART B

TRUTH

I have NEVER (thank goodness) heard a city manager or elected official dare to say "we can't do this because the damn 

blacks...

women...

Hispanics...

Jews...

are bankrupting us with their needs."

I could fill a room with those who (illegally) say this about simple accessibility accommodations. 

Hatred is hatred.

ADA @ 30 -- PART A

TRUTH

We would be ashamed to say "you're competent..despite your race, religion, orientation, gender..." 

But bigoted people routinely put qualifiers like that on people with disabilities.

CELEBRATING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ADA -- Part 14

WITH A DOZEN DAYS OF RANTS ABOUT DISCRIMINATION

I have been saying for a quarter century that Urban Design is broken. 

Too many of its practitioners create brand new things that are barriers to wheelchair users, blind people, deaf people. 

We must fix the environment, not the person.

People are fine just the way they are.

"Normal" is not 5-foot-10, athletic and age 25.

Normal is a range of physical conditions and abilities in human being.

It is as diverse as the sea, dessert, forest, lake, jungle, river, mountain, valley and canyon are in nature.

CELEBRATING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ADA -- Part 13

WITH A DOZEN DAYS OF RANTS ABOUT DISCRIMINATION

The most sustainable practice on earth is to design and build houses and apartments suitable for all people and all ranges of disability. 

E-glass, low flow toilets and recycled materials are fine.

But the best way to be resilient is to allow people to age in place.

Anything less is not sustainable at all, so surrender your LEED certification, give up your green seal of approval if you are not building for all.

CELEBRATING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ADA -- Part 12

WITH A DOZEN DAYS OF RANTS ABOUT DISCRIMINATION

Thinking 2020 might need a little civil disobedience on my part.

Maybe some 8x10 stickers with super adhesive backing to go on the windshield smack in the driver's line of vision stating:

"I parked in this space because I'd like the disabled person who needs it to get hurt trying to make it to: school, work, doctor, gym, park, store – without benefit of a wide space, access aisle or safe path of travel.”

CELEBRATING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ADA -- Part 11

WITH A DOZEN DAYS OF RANTS ABOUT DISCRIMINATION

My Heidi jamming with the London Police

When I casually mention during a lunch meeting that my wife is a lifelong public servant, world traveler, published author and cat rescuer who happens to use a wheelchair for mobility. 

And your reply is "what's wrong with her" 

You are an idiot.

You hate disabled people.

CELEBRATING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ADA -- Part 10

WITH A DOZEN DAYS OF RANTS ABOUT DISCRIMINATION

Have attended 200+ planning workshops. 

Have heard officials talk about extra efforts taken to ensure people of color, immigrants, single moms etc. have their voices heard. 

(& I applaud that) 

Never have I heard a plan to get input from wheelchair users, blind or deaf people. 

Why?

CELEBRATING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ADA -- Part 9

WITH A DOZEN DAYS OF RANTS ABOUT DISCRIMINATION

It is:

Shameful 

Bigoted

Egregious 

Evil 

Hateful 

Ableist 

Short sighted 

Unsustainable

Illegal

 ...to deny someone their civil rights because of the cost. 

The ADA is not a building code to be waived, it is federal civil rights legislation.

Public and private sector must be ADA compliant regardless of expense.

CELEBRATING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ADA -- Part 8

WITH A DOZEN DAYS OF RANTS ABOUT DISCRIMINATION

You are living in the 21st century, but think of disabled people as half-human burdens.

How do I know this?

As the able-bodied spouse of a superstar who uses a wheelchair for mobility, I am told:

"You are a saint for marrying her."

"You have sacrificed so much."

At least 90% of the way I've evolved and grown is due to my wife.

She lifts me up.

She Rocks.

If you feel sorry for me, you are a bigot toward people with disabilities.

CELEBRATING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ADA -- Part 7

WITH A DOZEN DAYS OF RANTS ABOUT DISCRIMINATION

Parking for Pei Wei and Chipotle at 2283 SW 37th Ave has access aisle blocked by restaurant employees.                            The landlord, police and national chains could care less.

You hate people with disabilities when you park in an access aisle.

This is true even if you are disabled and legitimately hold a parking placard.

Or if you are in a sedan, only “waiting” for a friend to come out of the store.

My wife's ramp-equipped van is worthless if she doesn't have 8 to 10 feet to deploy the ramp from the passenger side.

The access aisle is NOT an extra space.

CELEBRATING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ADA -- Part 6

WITH A DOZEN DAYS OF RANTS ABOUT DISCRIMINATION

Blocking the ramp space for an accessible van causes people to miss doctor's appointments, be late for work, watch dairy items spoil -- waiting for you to move.

When you block the access aisle at an accessible space (with your motorcycle, sedan, etc) – you are breaking the law (and you clearly hate disabled people).

CELEBRATING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ADA -- Part 5

WITH A DOZEN DAYS OF RANTS ABOUT DISCRIMINATION

If you keep a dead family member's parking placard for ages…

Laughing as you get over on the rest of the world with your special VIP front row parking at the mall…

And your free on-street parking downtown…

You are breaking the law.

And you hate disabled people.

CELEBRATING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ADA -- Part 4

WITH A DOZEN DAYS OF RANTS ABOUT DISCRIMINATION

I don’t want to hear another architect (falsely) claim that universal design or ADA compliance caused a project to go over budget.

If you cannot design for all...or at least get a consultant with that expertise...why are you in a career that impacts the public realm for decades?

This is ableism.

It is as insidious and dangerous as sexism, racism, jingoism, homophobia and any other blanket hatred of diversity.

CELEBRATING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ADA -- Part 3

WITH A DOZEN DAYS OF RANTS ABOUT DISCRIMINATION

Architects, engineers and other designers must deal with: HVAC, life safety, flood plain, fire code, wind code and dozens of other essential elements.

How is it possible that accessibility is the only item that baffles them and kills their creativity?

It's total B.S.

Design for all should provide an endless fount of creativity.

CELEBRATING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ADA -- Part 2

WITH A DOZEN DAYS OF RANTS ABOUT DISCRIMINATION

The Liberty Bell rings for all -- not just the able-bodied

It is blatantly bigoted and worse to say people with disabilities (not the barrier-filled built environment) must be fixed. 

This would be like saying racism can be fixed by bleaching black people white. 

Or homophobia could e eradicated by shock therapy to make LGBTQ folks "straight." 

IT IS WRONG.

All of these ideas are insane.

It's the 21st century. 

Embrace diversity.

CELEBRATING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ADA -- Part 1

WITH A DOZEN DAYS OF RANTS ABOUT DISCRIMINATION

Insanely broken sidewalk and curb ramp -- Philadelphia

I'm gonna smack the next designer who tells me they are free to create barriers (steps, uneven entrances, worse) in the 21st century -- because some magic walking wheelchair or exoskeleton is days from "fixing" disabled people.

1. Those things cost $250K, they work about 2 hours, they have been supposedly ready for 20 years.

2. People with disabilities DO NOT need to be fixed.