THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT AT 30 -- PART 10

VOICES OF VICTORY, CELEBRATION OF CIVIL RIGHTS

AND REMAINING CHALLENGES 

Billy Altom is Executive Director of the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL), based in Little Rock. 

He has used a manual wheelchair since a T-1 SCI in 1985.

“There is a huge difference in how you enforce the ADA in rural areas versus urban,” said Alton, who assists 46 member CILs.

“In an urban setting, if I go to a store and it’s not accessible -- I can file a complaint, or I can go 10 blocks down the street and get what I need at a place that’s accessible.

If I’m in rural America and I need to buy pig feed and there’s only one place in the county to buy pig feed and it’s not accessible – I may need to build a relationship with the owner and negotiate a way of making things accessible.”