Tuesday, January 9, 2018

In a Love/Hate Relationship with the ADA.

So, I went to 7-11 for a couple drinks and a couple lottery tickets for Joey and me on Saturday.  We have one relatively close to our pad that I can walk to without having to cross any major streets, which really isn’t a problem, but why make things harder on myself, right?

Anyhoo, it reminded me of my school year '90. Noe and I’d been split up by my folks, because going to 7th grade, I’d be going to Alamo, and my brother’d apparently had a hard time.  So, since Joey had a hard time, it stood to reason that Jason would too…at least that was their reasoning.  But, that’s another blog.

Noe and I were waiting for a football game to start at Midland Christian, and we were getting thirsty, so we went to a 7-11 for provisions.  We get there, and, damn, they didn't have a ramp. So, we went to another...same. WTF! By the time we got back to the school, the gate was closed, so we just walked around town until we made it back to my pad.

That year, the ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) was passed calling for accessibility for crips in public places; however, places were fighting saying it was too costly to make simple ramps to let us in to give them business. Even at that age, we were pissed at the injustice, so Noe and I boycotted 7-11. That was the last free summer we had together. He died the next Summer. Mortality's a bitch.


Fast forward to today. Joey and I've got a love/hate relationship with the ADA. Yeah, we can get into most places, but once inside...yeeeeah. Here's the rub, and go with me on this, the ADA was made as a one size fits all made by made crips (ie. not born crips), which doesn't do shit for Joey when the toilet's a geriatric toilet set so high from the ground (Target), so a crip can't transfer from the floor like she does.  So, taking a leak when out is not happening…not cool. Furthermore, no crip wants to sit on a toilet where their feet don't touch the floor for stability, and, no, some bathrooms don't have handles...and, even then, they’re too high to hold as well…damn again.  There are millions of combinations of crippages.  Sound off.

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