Disability Access News

January 18, 2009 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Tuesday, Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th president of the United States.

During his campaign, Obama identified a number of significant issues that he would address during his administration.

Where should he start? Some Americans with disabilities have a list priorities for Obama's first year.

Even though the economy and employment are high on everyone's list, people with disabilities have their own recommendations and suggestions about how those goals can be accomplished.

Gary Arnold, Beto Barrera and Rene David Luna are staff members of Chicago's Access Living, one the of largest centers for independent living in the country.

"One of the most important things will be to get broad disability representation in the government," said Arnold.

"For more than 10 years, we've been trying to pass national legislation for community service for people with disabilities," Barrera said.

"Immigration reform, I think, is very important for everyone, but for people with disabilities as well," Luna said.

All three staff members work with a wide range of people with disabilities on various issues.

"What I'd like to see is an appointment of several people to the transition team who will oversee the appointments in other areas like in the Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, and those appointments would make sure that disability is well represented in those areas," said Arnold.

"It's time to pass the Community Choice Act. It's time to redirect millions of dollars, currently $240,000,000, that are going into the program that segregates people with disabilities based on diagnosis, to create community choices," Barrera said.

"Many immigrants come here to work. They have a disability as a result of getting hurt on the job, and some of them don't have health insurance. They don't have access to public benefits. They don't have legal status, and that's creating a big problem for everyone in the community," said Luna.

Employment remains the number one concern and challenge among the disabled population, according to Jim Kesteloot, outgoing executive director of the Chicago Lighthouse for people who are blind and visually impaired.

"If you have a major recession going on. It's even more important because it's going make it that much harder for a person with a disability to get a job. They're usually the last being considered, and when people are being let go, they're often the first to go," Kesteloot said.

He recommends improving job skills and education programs for people with disabilities, especially those with visually impairments.

"I think one of the things that would be important is to make sure that there's good funding for university programs that are training people in special education and training certified vision teachers and certified rehabilitation counselors," said Kesteloot.

During the first 100 days of the new president's term, Arnold says the United Dtates needs to re-established its role as a leader in the global community.

"I'd like to see president-elect Obama pledge support for the United Nation Convention on the rights of people with disabilities, to sign and then work with the Congress to ratify [it]," Arnold said.

There is a lot of work ahead for Obama's administration.

More than a million people are expected to descend on Washington, D.C., for the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama, and undoubtedly, there will be many stories written about the historic day.

Those flocking to the capital have been warned about massive crowds, massive waits, over-taxed transit systems, closed streets and bridges, security check-points and non-existent hotel rooms. Still, they won't be deterred because they want to see history in person as it's being made.

But factors that won't deter most attendees are becoming huge problems for citizens with disabilities who also want to be part of Inauguration Day 2009.

The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, in fact, has issued warnings that some people with disabilities interpret as a message signaling "not to come."

On its Web site, the committee warns that handicapped parking will be limited and not close to the Capitol, and that there will be fewer drop-off points for people using wheelchairs. Accessible seating is limited for those with tickets to the swearing-in ceremony. And, "persons in wheelchairs or utilizing walkers should be aware that they will need to move across bumpy surfaces, grassy areas and possible icy areas (depending on the weather)."

Obviously, getting around Washington on Inauguration Day won't be easy for anyone, and for people with disabilities, it sounds rather daunting.

"This is like a big, bold sign that says if you're a person with a disability, this is not your event," Richard Simms, executive director of the D.C. Center for Independent Living, told the D.C. Examiner.

Carole Florman, spokeswoman for the congressional committee, told the Examiner that her office was "very concerned" about the issue and was planning to be as accessible as possible. Circumstances outside of its control have created unique challenges, she said.

In the Examiner story, Florman added that she hopes people with special needs -- the disabled, the elderly and those with small children -- take seriously the potential for enormous crowds and dreadful weather, and plan accordingly.

Here's Florman's zinger that has some disability activists seeing red: "Some people may be better off trying to watch it on TV," she said.

Exclusion is a fact of life for people with disabilities, and I used to think that inaccessible polling places were the worst form of exclusion because they denied the rights of citizenship.

Access problems at inaugural events take those exclusionary feelings to a whole new level.

The inaugural committee can't work crowd-control miracles, but as Andrew Imparto, president and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities, said in the same Examiner article quoted above: "We'd hope the congressional committee could figure out a way to accommodate everybody. Our experience is that when accessibility is taken seriously, it makes for a smoother event all around."

My hope is that reporters covering the inauguration will also take the issue seriously, and find out whether accessibility for the disabled was handled as it should have been, and why.
Posted by Susan LoTempio at 12:52 PM on Jan. 18, 2009

A disabled teenager who tackled the Royal Bank of Scotland after it failed to cater for his needs has won a major legal challenge.

David Allen, 17, from Sheffield, has muscular dystrophy. He launched the challenge after the bank failed to provide wheelchair access at a branch.

Sheffield County Court ruled the bank breached disability law by not having the access at the Church Street branch.

The bank said it had disability access at three other branches.

Now the bank must pay £6,500 in damages and has until the end of September to install a platform lift.

Precedent

The ruling is the first of its kind and has set a legal precedent which could have implications for other service providers, legal experts said.

The bank claimed it had complied with the Disability Right's Commissions' Code of Practice and that it had arranged access to three other branches.

It also offered Mr Allen the use of telephone or internet banking services.

However, Judge Dowse criticised the bank adding: "The bank has made errors in this case causing David considerable embarrassment.

"It has not covered itself in glory."

At hearing the Court's decision, Mr Allen said: "I'm glad justice has been done.

"I only wanted them to comply with the law and provide disabled access so I could get into my bank like my friends."

Barrister Declan O'Dempsey, a discrimination specialist said "Businesses are required under the Goods and Services provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act to make "reasonable adjustments" to ensure that their customers can use their services."

"In addition, up until now no company has been forced by injunction to make a physical adjustment to ensure that disabled people have equal access to their services.

"This ruling changes that. Bigger companies now know that it is up to them to anticipate the needs of all their customers; and it will be up to them to prove why they have not ensured equal access to their services for all their clients."

John Wadham, group director, legal, at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: "When it comes to sensitive matters like our finances, we all value the discretion and security that bank branches offer.

"Why should a wheelchair user be denied this service when all that is needed is a little thought on behalf of a company?"