I find it particularly disturbing that access and the laws and regulations that define barrier removal have become political fodder for partisan politics.  Disability has no partisanship - the ADA was bi-partisan to the nth degree.  
So just when did conservative politicos decide that access laws are evil representations of government gone bad?

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is the most sweeping civil rights law this country has had the good sense to promulgate.  This law recognizes that every American has the right to access community living in every way - and challenges the design parameters of the built environment as insufficient to serve every American.  

There are Federal tax credits and tax deductions to ease the burden on small enterprises.  Yet 80 - 90 percent of the businesses in our local communities remain unmodified and inaccessible.

On December 3, 2006, 6000 days will have passed since the passage of the ADA - just one dollar a day could have bought so much access!

End Disability Discrimination in 2006!  Contact your local Independent Living Center or DB-TAC, or visit the DOJ ADA web pages for barrier removal guidance.

Thanks for listening,
Lee

"Tomorrow is Primary Day in Connecticut, with the nationally featured Senate race between incumbent Joe Lieberman and anti-war incumbent Ned Lamont.

Yet, still under the radar screen is Connecticut's lack of compliance with HAVA. Like New York, they will still be using the old style lever machines.
According to Electionline.org, thousands of voters with disabilities will lack the ability to cast an independent ballot."

From USDemocratic Network

As soon as I receive permission to post the full article - I will append here - stay tuned!

While I wait- consider the question  "would you be confident in your vote if you were required to read off your selections to a poll worker or volunteer?

So I was recently told that the rest of the state's aren't NEAR as accessible as California!  Well - if that is true - then just what pig in a poke did we buy with the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act back in 1990?  Cause I got to tell you - somewhere around 80 to 90 percent of the businesses, government offices and other public accommodations range from way out of compliance to the law to just plain inaccessible or unusable!

Advocates nationwide breathed a sigh back in the nineties - job done -go home and start enjoying all that access!

But yah see, that little thing called civil lawsuit gave the whole affair a black eye.  Unfortunately - these laws were designed to be adjudicated in civil lawsuits.  And now sixteen years later - those scofflaws that still have not met their obligations under those laws -seek to gut them under the guise of "abusive ada lawsuits".  

Perhaps the time has come to make continuing and persistent resistance to meeting access code barrier removal obligations a criminal affair rather than a civil one.

Thanks for listening to my rant,
Lee

If society losses it's civility - what does it become?

December 31st 2006, 6000 days will have passed since the passage of the ADA.  Just one dollar a day could have bought so much access!  Coupled with federal tax credits - about 10K worth or more......