"No Wheelchairs Allowed"
With the Religious Freedom bill passing in Indiana, there's been a lot of discussion surrounding who is welcome in businesses and who can be turned away. Without entering into this debate, I'd like to take this opportunity to point out something that most people just don't think about.
When a store or business isn't accessible to people with disabilities (and the ADA is poorly enforced and doesn't apply to old buildings), business-owners are refusing to serve customers with disabilities. Is this intentional? Most likely not. However, the effect is the same. By requiring customers to manage stairs to enter a building or room, they might as well have a big "NO WHEELCHAIRS ALLOWED" sign on the door.
Most businesses want to be accessible to people with disabilities. Many employees will often offer help to a potential disabled customer to get them into the building; but offering to carry someone's wheelchair into a building does NOT make that building welcoming to individuals with disabilities. In this case, individuals are only welcome if they can "appear" as able-bodied; imagine signs on doors saying "NO OPENLY GAY FOLKS ALLOWED (but if you'll promise to act and look straight, come on in)", or "WHITES ONLY (face paint is available upon request if your skin isn't sufficiently light enough to enter). "
Sound ridiculous?
Welcome to my world.
In reaction to Indiana's new legislation, many businesses are coming out as being welcoming to all people, and posting signs to that effect. While I applaud this effort, I would challenge everyone who claims to be welcoming to all to think about who that "all" encompasses - LGBT people, racial minorities, people of various religious backgrounds, the young and the elderly, and those with physical, sensory, and intellectual disabilities. It's not enough to just advertise that you are welcoming; access has to be available to make this a reality.
Additionally, unless you personally require access, you probably don't actually know what that means. Far too many new buildings aren't accessible because the ADA-planning and inspection were performed by an able-bodied person (note: automatic door openers placed at a level that most wheelchair-users can't reach probably aren't going to help the people who actually need to use them). To truly achieve full access, all people must be actively included in the entire process.
When a store or business isn't accessible to people with disabilities (and the ADA is poorly enforced and doesn't apply to old buildings), business-owners are refusing to serve customers with disabilities. Is this intentional? Most likely not. However, the effect is the same. By requiring customers to manage stairs to enter a building or room, they might as well have a big "NO WHEELCHAIRS ALLOWED" sign on the door.
Most businesses want to be accessible to people with disabilities. Many employees will often offer help to a potential disabled customer to get them into the building; but offering to carry someone's wheelchair into a building does NOT make that building welcoming to individuals with disabilities. In this case, individuals are only welcome if they can "appear" as able-bodied; imagine signs on doors saying "NO OPENLY GAY FOLKS ALLOWED (but if you'll promise to act and look straight, come on in)", or "WHITES ONLY (face paint is available upon request if your skin isn't sufficiently light enough to enter). "
Sound ridiculous?
Welcome to my world.
In reaction to Indiana's new legislation, many businesses are coming out as being welcoming to all people, and posting signs to that effect. While I applaud this effort, I would challenge everyone who claims to be welcoming to all to think about who that "all" encompasses - LGBT people, racial minorities, people of various religious backgrounds, the young and the elderly, and those with physical, sensory, and intellectual disabilities. It's not enough to just advertise that you are welcoming; access has to be available to make this a reality.
Additionally, unless you personally require access, you probably don't actually know what that means. Far too many new buildings aren't accessible because the ADA-planning and inspection were performed by an able-bodied person (note: automatic door openers placed at a level that most wheelchair-users can't reach probably aren't going to help the people who actually need to use them). To truly achieve full access, all people must be actively included in the entire process.
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