In recent years, Wichita has made great strides in making public places more accessible to people with disabilities, but there’s still a lot of work to do, as last week’s City Council meeting showed.
As reported in The Eagle, Shirley Yonce — a member of the city’s disability advisory board — couldn’t follow the proceedings because headphones supplied for the hearing impaired weren’t working.
As part of the settlement of a 2004 lawsuit against the city, a consultant group has inspected 180 public buildings and found about 3,000 violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act standards.
It will cost an estimated $2 million to $6 million over the next decade to bring the buildings into compliance, but this is money well-spent. All of our citizens should have the opportunity to participate in public life and democracy.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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I couldn’t agree more. If the buildings are in violation, then let’s fix them. I’m sure the budget can withstand a 600,000/year increase over a 10 year period to fix the access problems. If they can’t, I’d support a tax or mill increase.
Can’t have people with disabilities not being able to access public places.
I’m all about accessibility for disabled persons. However, I think closing down EVERY voting station because of accessibility is not neccessary. For every precinct there should be one that is fully accessible only for the disabled, that would get them in and out faster, have available staff to help them…the others shouldn’t have to be. The government could also make it far more available to do advance voting ballots.
Every card handed out to register voters should ask whether or not they want temporary advance voting or permanent advance voting (don’t put advance voting ballot, put “would you like to have your ballot mailed to you.”)
Far far more convenient for the disabled, and so few even know that it is available to them!
There are far more daily difficulties in disabled peoples lives that we as a community should be dealing with- from stores that pack their aisles and departments so full and make it impossible for a wheelchair to pass (like Dillards, Walmart)- to movie theatres that have no good place to park a wheelchair…to handicapped parking that is a basic joke because nobody takes it seriously.
How sad that nobody feels this topic important enough to discuss. I guess most don’t think about it till they’re the ones with their legs blown off or old.
I think for the most part, our culture accommodates the physically handicapped quite well. It will never be perfect for the disabled, but it’s not for anyone, that’s just life.There are very few places that the disabled can’t go, very few things they can’t do. I talked to a man today who was born blind and has held a job at SRS for 30 yrs. I’ve seen someone with severe CP go to college, I’ve seen so many people overcome incredible obstacles in order to become what they want to be. I’m often so amazed at the strength and endurance of the human spirit. It’s all about having the right attitude.
Mary, I wish I could hold your optimistic outlook, but unfortunately I can’t take one or two stories of success and discount all the negative struggles that disabled face every single day. Working harder or attitude doesn’t always address the problem.
pol mom,
I am properly chastised. I tend to “run” to where the fight is. As you say it isn’t here buy I should not have neglected this thread.
My dad grew increasingly disabled during his illness. In a few short months he went from normal motion to a cane, then a walker, then a wheelchair.
In that short time, I remember a movie theatre with a sloped aisle Dad had trouble with. I remember buildings I had to help My dad through the door. I remember having to heft my Dad and his chair bacward up the stepped entrances to buildings.
NO Mary we do not accomodate the handicapped anywhere nearly enough. Don’t believe me? Spend the day in a wheelchair. Appeals to the human spirit to “overcome” are fine. But they mean little to someone who cannot overcome.
I work with the handicapped every day, it’s my work. Things are not so bad, I’m optimistic because the disabled have more opportunity now than ever. I know much more than “one or two stories” of disabled people overcoming obstacles to achieve success and happiness. Maybe it’s the struggle that gives them the ambition and drive to achieve their goals. It’s all about attitude. Compared to other countries, we take excellent care of and offer many opportunities to our disabled citizens.
There it is again Mary.
That dreamy sense of optimism you have.
There are lots of folks worse off than I. But I just don’t get where your optimism comes from. Not in this society anyway.
“It’s all about attitude.”?
So, if folks are crippled or disabled or poor or suffering or oppressed they just need to whistle “zippity doo dah”? Come on.
JR, life can be hard, we’ll never make it perfect for everyone.I have a good friend who goes to Vietnam every year to do surgery on children that have been disabled by land mines the US left behind. She’d laugh at the problems you talked about. When she does surgery, the children don’t even get any pain meds afterward. Parents will ride for 3 or 4 days on a bike with their kid riding on the handlebars just so they can be screened for possible surgery. They have to turn most of them away, because they can only do about 40 procedures each time they go. The government won’t even provide health care to the disabled in Vietnam.We take good care of our disabled in this country, but there will always be minor irritations, like doors that are hard to get through or steps that have to be negotiated, but the important things are covered. In our country, the disabled don’t have to beg on the streets just to eat.
Come to work with me sometime JR, I’ll show you where my optimism comes from!