[BlindTlk] FW: [berkeley-disabled] Re: L.A. Times Article 9/30/19 on the Access Barriers Disabled Persons Face

[Eric Calhoun]

Original Message: 
From: "Connie Arnold ihss_advocate at yahoo.com [berkeley-disabled]"
<berkeley-disabled-noreply at yahoogroups.com>
To: CDR MembersXchange <cdr-membersxchange at yahoogroups.com>,
Berkeley-Disabled <berkeley-disabled at yahoogroups.com>, ADAPT-CAL
<adapt-cal at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [berkeley-disabled] Re: L.A. Times Article 9/30/19 on the Access
Barriers Disabled Persons Face
Date: 
Mon, 30 Sep 2019 17:05:49 +0000 (UTC)

Dear Friends, Advocates, and Colleagues:
If you have a disability, you will identify with this article on the
access barriers in the built environment we all face and deal with on a
regular basis.  Today's L.A. Times article shows the public what we face. 
While the business community, lobbyists, and the Chamber of Commerce has
framed those who litigate to remove access barriers as criminals, the real
crime is that post Title 24, California Access Regulations in place since
about July 1981 being the required access for the state, post ADA Access
Guidelines in 1990 and beyond, and older ANSI standards in 1969 or the
Rehabilitation Act Section 504 regulations, we still have a long way to go
to insure the built environment is fully accessible even if businesses want
to act like access barriers have been removed. Unfortunately, the lack of
enforcement of disabled access laws continues in California.  Even under
specific California Attorney Generals, we have a REAL lack of enforcement
of our civil rights laws and a lack of concern for removal of disabled
access barriers based on the argument framing done in the media catering to
the business community and their organizations who help fund the media
presentation, arguments, and lack of willingness to remove disabled access
barriers because it might cost them money to do so.  Of course, this is
even with available tax credits.  Politicians lose sight of a large
disability voting block when they buy into this false narrative and media
framing by businesses who contribute financially to their campaigns.
Therefore, we have an ongoing uphill battle for the disability community
and our need for equal access to be enforced in the built environment.
Enjoy reading the article in the link below.   
Column: For L.A.'s disabled people, scooters and bad sidewalks aren't the
only hazards


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Column: For L.A.'s disabled people, scooters and bad sidewalks aren't
th...

In Los Angeles, disabled people face daily challenges far beyond
sidewalks damaged by roots and crowded with sco...
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Best,Connie Arnold