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Lawsuits greedy, but access issue real

I was discouraged to see the story (Herald, May 3) about the way one greedy man is trying to make money for himself off lawsuits around the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The way the guy went about this was inappropriate, but so is denying people access because of their disability. Please don’t blame the disability community or perpetuate negative stereotypes. The real takeaway is that there is a group of people – local community members and tourists – who cannot enjoy our town due to the astonishing level of inaccessibility. Telluride is now known as being more accessible than Durango to people with disabilities who want to spend tourist dollars. Many local businesses and infrastructures are out of compliance with a 25-year-old law. Businesses have had since 1990 to make these changes. Denying access to any segment of our population is discrimination.

Southwest Center for Independence and the local disability community have been trying to educate local businesses about how good access makes good business sense since the 1980s. SWCI would rather work with people than against them, but businesses have tended to fear the initials “ADA.” We’ve been warning about these drive-by lawsuits for a couple years, because they target small businesses without large legal resources.

Historical significance does not matter – even George Washington’s birthplace must have an accessible entry and bathroom. Durango is full of bathrooms labeled accessible that aren’t.

Most accommodations are inexpensive. Lowering soap dispensers costs just about nothing, as does rearranging space so people can maneuver. Grab bars are not expensive, nor are lever-type handles. Many local businesses have made changes in recent years in order to accommodate customers with disabilities.

Maybe Durango has reached the point where we can address physical accessibility for people who use wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, etc. Next, we should begin talking about accessibility for the blind and deaf.

As the disability community and the aging communities collide, it would do us well to remember that people with disabilities are the largest minority group in the country – and the only one you can join at any time.

Martha Mason

Durango



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