Wheelchairs and liquid dreams

Type :

Term papers

Pages :

3 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

07/28/2009

Category :

Law & contracts

Sub category :

Civil law

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Summary :

Introduction
People with disabilities
The rights model and its role
The issues raised by ADA
Reasons why ADA was passed
The success of ADA
Conclusion
Works cited

Abstract

Quenching one's thirst with a nice big glass of water could prove to be a mistake if you are in New York City and find yourself in need of a public restroom. Finding a place for relief in the big apple is not easy, and the city's streets and subways have become public toilets. The necessity for public toilets is apparent to all and in 1991, the Kaplan fund financed six coin operated toilets to be imported from France and tested in the city (Howard 114). These toilets catered to the needs of New York City nearly perfectly; however, they were not made to fit wheelchairs. Disability rights activists demanded that a toilet accommodating to the needs of the wheelchair bound be tested as well. They stated that it was their right, to have public toilets that accommodate all people, including those in wheelchairs. Activists succeeded in getting the city to test the larger, more obtrusive toilet kiosks, only to find that they were basically unused and the cost of the wheelchair accessible toilets was wasted (Howard 115).

The rule that New York City's decision was based on is the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Activists were defending the rights of the disabled that are specifically enumerated in the ADA: "no qualified individual with a disability shall, by reason of such disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of a public entity, or be subjected to discrimination by any such entity" (42 USC 12132, 1990).