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The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed to prevent discrimination against those individuals who have a handicap/disability.
Most of us would prefer to open our own doors and walk unassisted as long as we are able. When this is not possible, then we need the ADA to be there for us. This sounds logical and fair, doesn’t it?
The truth is, the act has no teeth or real enforcement. Next time you are out and about, look at the cars without placards or disability license plates that have been parked in the handicapped parking spaces.
The lined areas between the handicapped-designated spaces are not “free” zones; they are there so that those individuals who need additional room to access their wheelchairs can do so.
Have you seen an illegally parked car in a handicapped area ticketed? Local police have taken the position that “we have better things to do than be parking police.” So who is left to enforce the law?
I approached someone who was illegally parked and he boasted: “Who cares? Who is going to ticket me?” Sadly, the man is correct.
When I was shopping in an area clothing store, the handicapped dressing room was filled with stock and unavailable for use by anyone with any disability. No wheelchair, scooter or walker could safely maneuver through the debris.
We face the challenges of handicapped lavatories – where the doors are not wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair, walker or scooter, and commodes are built too low. We have the motels and hotels that state their rooms are handicapped-accessible, but you need climbing gear just to step over the tub for a shower.
There is nothing humorous about living with a disability every day. Society’s actions speak volumes about Americans with disabilities.