ABLEISM IS A TOXIC FORM OF DISCRIMINATION

DON’T BE AN ABLEISM ENABLER OR APOLOGIST

Why is everyone an ableism enabler?

Every time I point out the evil of a brand new shop accessed only by steps, I get an avalanche of apologist replies “maybe the architect doesn’t know” about the ADA.

If an architect is not aware of the Americans with Disabilities Act, (the law of the land for a third of a century) then they are better suited for shoveling pig poop than designing places and spaces for human beings.

Why are everyday people so aggressive about making lack of access the fault of people with disabilities? 

Forgiving a business for not knowing it must serve all is as ludicrous as forgiving a chef for not knowing to wash his hands after wiping his heinie.

ABLEIST DESIGN

SEGREGATES, ISOLATES, HUMILIATES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Imagine every day at work, you walk and roll to the office, out to lunch, etc. -- with your fellow employees. But you cannot joint them because your entrance is separated.

You have do the walk and roll of shame up a ramp hidden off from the main entrance – creating a barrier between you and mainstream access.

This is the Florida Department of Health’s main entrance to the facility providing dozens of essential services to millions of Miami-Dade County residents.

It is up steps.

There is a tiny, almost hidden sign indicating a ramp — but not even an arrow pointing the direction to wheelchair access somewhere off in the distance.

The building is relatively new — built decades after the Americans with Disabilities Act.

How can anyone design or build something that creates segregation, the gives wheelchair users second class status?