mark handler
SAWHORSE
http://www.nhregister.com/opinion/20140928/editorial-still-a-tough-road-for-americans-with-disabilities
Sometimes, being a big pain is what is takes to draw attention to an issue and get things done. Just ask Seymour resident Joseph Luciano. Luciano, who uses a wheelchair, has left little doubt he is not happy with state, federal and local officials and the snail’s pace cities and towns are taking to conform with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Luciano is adamant that his wheelchair should not prevent him from shopping, carrying out chores and enjoying what Seymour’s downtown has to offer. He is demanding that access to all public buildings and spaces be made available to persons with disabilities and mobility issues.
We agree. No one should be locked out of everyday activities that are available to most people because of a disability.
The ADA is the equal opportunity law for people with disabilities. It prohibits discrimination and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to participate in the mainstream of American life.
But like other laws that bar discrimination, it takes the power of the people to ensure that the laws are enforced.
Nearly a quarter of a century after then-President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 (which was later revised and strengthened in 2009), you won’t find any of Connecticut’s 169 towns and cities in total compliance, said Marc Anthony Gallucci, executive director of Center for Disability Rights in West Haven, in an interview with the Register earlier this year.
“Connecticut and its 169 municipalities rank near the bottom of states in complying with the basic mandates of the ADA and the 2008 amendments to it,” Gallucci said at the time. “Less than 12 Connecticut towns and cities have complied with the basic mandates of the law and as a whole, municipalities are not in compliance and have not even started even though they have had 20 years to do so.”
Luciano has been waging a campaign to change that.
With a barrage of letters to local, state and federal officials and multiple stories in newspapers and on TV, the 75-year-old Luciano has taken on officials including agreeing to chair a committee overseeing improvements before resigning. He has lambasted them, filed a complaint with the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities against the town and his apartment complex, dared town officials to “wheel” a mile in his shoes, written op-eds about the difficulty disabled people face, and takes picture after picture and records video to show how difficult life is for disabled people.
And now, he is taking on grants that towns receive to “beautify” downtown areas but do nothing to help with accessibility for people with disabilities who he calls “invisible” to shopkeepers, workers and property owners.
While no one is questioning the good-faith efforts of town and city officials as well as businesses to become ADA compliant — it is challenging and it is costly — Connecticut can’t afford to wait.
Connecticut is aging quickly and the demographics will shift dramatically over the next three decades. By 2050, half the state’s population will be 65 and older. Becoming ADA compliant will also help elderly citizens whose movements are restricted by arthritis and other maladies associated with aging. The year 2050 sounds like a long way off, but it has taken Connecticut nearly 25 years to do practically nothing to become ADA compliant.
The state can’t afford to kick it down to the next administration or heap it on the backs of the next generation.
Some things are getting done. Some agencies and departments have appointed ADA coordinators and most state agencies and departments have conducted ADA self assessments and a few have even done ADA transition plans. But more needs to be done.
We champion Luciano’s mission to ensure people with disabilities and mobility issues are not invisible to the state of Connecticut. Luciano has noted positive steps initiated by Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller, including the installation of an automatic door opener at Seymour Town Hall.
Miller has said he understands and supports the need to become more ADA compliant but argues the changes can’t happen overnight. Maybe not, but the changes that have been made are not happening fast enough.
We encourage city and town officials to make a greater commitment to become ADA compliant and ensure that people with disabilities are able to enjoy the communities where they live.
Sometimes, being a big pain is what is takes to draw attention to an issue and get things done. Just ask Seymour resident Joseph Luciano. Luciano, who uses a wheelchair, has left little doubt he is not happy with state, federal and local officials and the snail’s pace cities and towns are taking to conform with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Luciano is adamant that his wheelchair should not prevent him from shopping, carrying out chores and enjoying what Seymour’s downtown has to offer. He is demanding that access to all public buildings and spaces be made available to persons with disabilities and mobility issues.
We agree. No one should be locked out of everyday activities that are available to most people because of a disability.
The ADA is the equal opportunity law for people with disabilities. It prohibits discrimination and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to participate in the mainstream of American life.
But like other laws that bar discrimination, it takes the power of the people to ensure that the laws are enforced.
Nearly a quarter of a century after then-President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 (which was later revised and strengthened in 2009), you won’t find any of Connecticut’s 169 towns and cities in total compliance, said Marc Anthony Gallucci, executive director of Center for Disability Rights in West Haven, in an interview with the Register earlier this year.
“Connecticut and its 169 municipalities rank near the bottom of states in complying with the basic mandates of the ADA and the 2008 amendments to it,” Gallucci said at the time. “Less than 12 Connecticut towns and cities have complied with the basic mandates of the law and as a whole, municipalities are not in compliance and have not even started even though they have had 20 years to do so.”
Luciano has been waging a campaign to change that.
With a barrage of letters to local, state and federal officials and multiple stories in newspapers and on TV, the 75-year-old Luciano has taken on officials including agreeing to chair a committee overseeing improvements before resigning. He has lambasted them, filed a complaint with the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities against the town and his apartment complex, dared town officials to “wheel” a mile in his shoes, written op-eds about the difficulty disabled people face, and takes picture after picture and records video to show how difficult life is for disabled people.
And now, he is taking on grants that towns receive to “beautify” downtown areas but do nothing to help with accessibility for people with disabilities who he calls “invisible” to shopkeepers, workers and property owners.
While no one is questioning the good-faith efforts of town and city officials as well as businesses to become ADA compliant — it is challenging and it is costly — Connecticut can’t afford to wait.
Connecticut is aging quickly and the demographics will shift dramatically over the next three decades. By 2050, half the state’s population will be 65 and older. Becoming ADA compliant will also help elderly citizens whose movements are restricted by arthritis and other maladies associated with aging. The year 2050 sounds like a long way off, but it has taken Connecticut nearly 25 years to do practically nothing to become ADA compliant.
The state can’t afford to kick it down to the next administration or heap it on the backs of the next generation.
Some things are getting done. Some agencies and departments have appointed ADA coordinators and most state agencies and departments have conducted ADA self assessments and a few have even done ADA transition plans. But more needs to be done.
We champion Luciano’s mission to ensure people with disabilities and mobility issues are not invisible to the state of Connecticut. Luciano has noted positive steps initiated by Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller, including the installation of an automatic door opener at Seymour Town Hall.
Miller has said he understands and supports the need to become more ADA compliant but argues the changes can’t happen overnight. Maybe not, but the changes that have been made are not happening fast enough.
We encourage city and town officials to make a greater commitment to become ADA compliant and ensure that people with disabilities are able to enjoy the communities where they live.
