ADA Lawsuit

[Yikes]

Excellent point.

I chose my words carefully as an analogy, because there is the potential for ADA itself to likewise implode on itself.

About 10 years ago, theon a nearby large public (deep pockets) University that has a hilly campus, the old sidewalks were getting too narrow for the increased foot and wheelchair traffic in a particular area, and students were spilling into the roadway on a hilly inside-curve.

The university developed plans to build a staircase thatdown the hillside on this inside-curve, thus reducing foot-traffic for the sidewalk and making things safer for everyone. However, there was insufficient room for a corresponding ramp... the exisitng curving sidwalk itself was the "ramp" equivalent. Partway through the construction process, the university's attorney determined that the staircase constituted a shortcut, and to avoid the appearance of discrimination against those who couldn't wheel down the shortcut, it was better to have no staircase at all.

Today, the old sidewalk remains, more crowded and dangerous than ever. The most straightforward solution to equal facilitation for all was to provide equal misery for all.

Who was the winner here? ADA imploded on itself.

 

[conarb]

Because of ongoing newspaper articles on this subject a radio talk show devoted much of the afternoon on it, they had one of the plaintiff's attorneys on and another attorney who defended small business owners against what she called extortion lawsuits. The plaintiff's attorney gave his professional litigants 20% of the take and retained 80% for his fees.

"We have seen hundreds of instances with similar characteristics," Dick-Endrizzi said. "Small businesses like pizza places and video stores, where there's not a lot of profit being made ... they don't have the financial capacity to hire architects and lawyers."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/01/05/BUGU1H4IR9.DTL#ixzz1AJthbDAo



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[brudgers]

Because of ongoing newspaper articles on this subject a radio talk show devoted much of the afternoon on it, they had one of the plaintiff's attorneys on and another attorney who defended small business owners against what she called extortion lawsuits. The plaintiff's attorney gave his professional litigants 20% of the take and retained 80% for his fees.

I'm sure this fairy tale ends with, "and the business owners donated every profit to homeless orphans, their attorney's accepted hugs in lieu of payment, and they all lived happily ever after in a land of beer, unicorns and rainbows."

Businesses don't comply for the money.

 

[incognito]

Geez, you would think that is a bad thing for businesses to make a profit. Anyone who has a problem with it should join the happy citizens in Cuba. As I understand it the refuge boats have plenty of room for any one desiring to make the return trip.

 

[Jobsaver]

What truly amazes me is the lack of understanding by 99% of you that ADA is Federal civil rights laws that ensure equal opportunity for people with disabilities. Architects and Owners need to deal with it, not building officials

Mark, I'm pretty sure everyone here understands that. But aren't we still allowed to hate it if we want to?

True, but that is a different issue.

I chose my words carefully as an analogy, because there is the potential for ADA itself to likewise implode on itself.

I'm sure this fairy tale ends with, "and the business owners donated every profit to homeless orphans, their attorney's accepted hugs in lieu of payment, and they all lived happily ever after in a land of beer, unicorns and rainbows."

The Accessibility Topic, and particularly, this ADA Lawsuit thread, has apparently imploded on itself.

 

[brudgers]

Geez, you would think that is a bad thing for businesses to make a profit. Anyone who has a problem with it should join the happy citizens in Cuba. As I understand it the refuge boats have plenty of room for any one desiring to make the return trip.

I don't have any problem with businesses making a profit.

I just expect them to do so legally.

If you don't like that, move to Russia.

 

[Yikes]

I'm sure this fairy tale ends with, "and the business owners donated every profit to homeless orphans, their attorney's accepted hugs in lieu of payment, and they all lived happily ever after in a land of beer, unicorns and rainbows."

Unicorns and rainbows are not accessible to me - -I think I'm gonna sue both of them!