"Higher" Education

I know, I'm on a news kick these days. But the stories are a reminder of how far we still have to go. And sadly, I've heard too many people argue that people with disabilities aren't discriminated against anymore. So let these news stories prove my point to all those who doubt.

http://insidehighered.com/news/2008/08/06/mcneese

Well, this one sounds far too familiar. I remember having these arguments with my University. Thankfully, it wasn't over the only bathroom in the student union building, but still.

So let's look at the arguments...
1) she didn't need the wheelchair, because she could walk, so she wasn't disabled enough to qualify
This just proves that the ADA needs to be clarified when it comes to defining who qualifies. I can't think of a single reason that she wouldn't be "considered a person with a disability". She qualifies, and arguing that is just pathetic.

2) There wasn't enough money.
It's one bathroom. And it's been seven years since this incident, and the ONLY bathroom still isn't accessible. Nope, not buying that one. I'm sensitive to the limited budgets of universities, but I won't buy that there wasn't money to renovate one bathroom.

3) Classrooms were the priority.
Okay, except that the union building had the two major cafeterias in it. And many of the school's offices. So it's not like a person with a wheelchair could just avoid the whole building. And there's something I remember from my school days. Some buildings weren't accessible (and weren't required to be because of age). We handled it by moving my classes to accessible rooms/buildings. Sure, it probably inconvenienced a few profs who actually had to emerge from their buildings, but it meant that I could go to classes. Why doesn't this university try that. Then they might have the money to renovate the bathroom.

Such a sad argument that this university is making.

A sad day when you find a way around the ADA

Well, the state of Wisconsin has decided to offer a variance to an accessibility law. http://www.channel3000.com/news/17113541/detail.html

Basically, the state is allowing a developer of an apartment complex to have a 4 inch drop between the apartment and the balcony. It does say that "However, a person with a physical disability recognized by federal authorities, such as someone in a wheelchair, can ask the developer to rip out the old door and install a new one that is nearly flush with the floors, removing any accessibility concerns." Great, that should encourage the developer to sell to someone with a disability. Let's add more reasons for them to discriminate. Oh, and what if the original owner sells it? Will the developer come back and change out the doors if the new owner needs accessibility?

This is a sad thing. The ADA has been in effect for 18 years, there really is no excuse at this point. That the state has decided to overrule this important legislation is highly telling of both the state, and the protections that the ADA/FHA actually provide.

Yet one more apartment building that won't work for a person using a wheelchair.

An empty wheelchair

I'm rambling, so forgive me.

Someone once told me that an empty wheelchair was a scary sight. I think I understand this. After all, our conception is that people rarely just climb out of their wheelchairs and walk away, so where did the person go? Did they fall and are now trying to get help? Did someone scoop them up? Did the chair roll off on it's own? I should note that this anxiety only seems to be around "personal" wheelchairs. By that I mean, the bank of wheelchairs at the mall or the hospital aren't quite so troubling, maybe because they don't belong to someone.

The truth is that there are many reasons that a wheelchair could be empty. The person might have actually gotten up and walked away, some of us do. There might have been an area that was not accessible by chair and the person was helped to a seat and left the chair behind until it could be brought to them. It might even be set up waiting for it's new owner/borrower.

In the end, I think my own discomfort about this stems from the fact that my chair is such a part of me. I can and do walk regularly. Mainly when I can't get in some place (like an apartment). But leaving it behind is scary. Not having it available makes me feel like part of my body is missing. I miss it, and feel less whole. Which is ironic because most people see me as more whole when I walk.

Teach the children

I miss walking. I miss not having parents pull their children away from me. I can never figure out if they are expecting that I will run them over, or if they are worried that their kids will hurt me somehow. I understand not wanting people to get in the way of people moving in general, but I'm not anymore out of control than a person walking and I'm not more likely to run a child over than someone else. Actually, I'm less likely, because I'm at their level, and I'll notice them.

I often see kids ask their parents questions and their parents quickly shush them. I get it, we don't want children to point out differences of every person that they see. It's likely to lead to issues later. There's one problem, if they never get the answers, then they grow up afraid of people with disabilities. There's also the problem that parents don't necessarily know the answers either. I would rather have parents or children ask me a question and learn and grow more tolerant, than have them stay afraid.

Ask. Ask respectfully and I'll answer.