[pct-l] A D A)

[jmertes at verizon.net (John Mertes)]

There are several facits to this issue.

1.  Granted property owners or such initially icnur the cost for 
wheelchair accesibility as well as all other types of accesibility. Some 
accomodations may be no more expensive than conventional items such as 
lever door handles instead of door knobs. At the other extreme is what I 
observed when I lived in Oakland -- an elevator was added on to enable 
wheelchair (and other) access to the second floor of a small new office 
building. But keep in mind that generally any increased building costs 
are passed through to the buildings tennants and then may spread out 
into a small increase in the prices of all kinds of goods and services.

2.  Some requirements are patently ridiculous such as handicapped 
accesible outhouses along hiking trails with no roads nearby. Or the 
requiring of elevator access to the mezzanine level of a restaurant even 
though there are plenty of tables on the main floor.
But 30 or so years ago I led a car camping trip for a Sierra Singles 
group and I had a wheelchair-bound woman and her assisting friend come 
on the trip.

3.  Of course there is an under lying question of what access is 
provided to whom and by whom.

I volunteer in our local visitor center and I was amazed when a young 
women in a wheelchair came in and said she was gathering information for 
the third grade class she teaches. Initially I was amazed but then I am 
glad that we do allow people confined to a wheelchair to get out and be 
productive and contribute to all of us rather than being confined to 
some small area.

Finally, there but for fate or chance or the grace of god go I. While 
life isn't fair we can lessen the inequalities.

John

Steve Courtway wrote:

>We architects and our clients incur burdens which can seem very
>disproportionate to the benefit of the occasional person in a wheelchair who
>may have other options.
>
>There's some sort of tie in there to the can discussion but it's too early
>to figure it out
>
>cy'all on the trail
>Steve Courtway
>
>  
>
>>i know this is off topic but ive just got to ask,what is your problem with
>>    
>>
>the a.d.a. ? i know it only benifits 1%(i dout the accuraccy of this
>statistic) but should`nt the disabled have the same access to public
>accomodations as the rest of us?
>  
>
>>    
>>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "robert vance" <hikerrobbie@yahoo.com>
>To: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
>Sent: Monday, July 26, 2004 7:01 PM
>Subject: RE: [pct-l] Thru-Hikers and cans (was Scary bear story
>&nothangingfood)
>
>
>  
>
>>I
>>
>>Remember: it took only a vocal lobbying group to force the passage of
>>"The American Disabilities Act (ADA)", which benefits less than 1% of
>>the population. (I reference this over and over because it directly
>>affects me and I wholeheartedly disagree with it. But it illustrates my
>>point.)
>>
>>M i c h a e l S a e n z
>>McLarand Vasquez Emsiek & Partners, Inc.
>>A r c h i t e c t u r e P l a n n i n g I n t e r i o r s
>>w w w . m v e - a r c h i t e c t s . c o m
>>    
>>
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