You can run an ad in this paper. Put it on Craigslist. Or look in any lost-and-found bin in town and still not find hide nor hair of what so many of us have misplaced these days: A sense of humor.
Jason Ragsdale was reminded last week of that nearly universal condition when he and his organization, the Southwest Center for Independence, decided on an artistic form of protest.
Ragsdale and company drew attention to access issues at some of Durango’s businesses and service agencies. Offending locations were “tagged” with a stenciled illustration depicting a stick man falling out of a wheelchair below the words “No Access.” They used spray paint, but the “paint” was chalk.
Judging from reactions, you would think Ragsdale had used a welder’s torch to brand front doors with a fiery, scarlet letter “A.” Cries of vandalism were heard. Police were summoned. More common was outrage that no warning was given beforehand. That would have been only polite, would it not, in a small town renowned for its laid-back attitude?
That reaction is actually humorous. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has been law for 26 years. More than a quarter century, Ragsdale says, should constitute fair warning for businesses not in compliance with the law’s provisions.
And still disabled residents find their calls for the civil right of access ignored, despite the fact that in most cases providing access can be relatively simple. What is more, the local Accessible Communities Team will provide matching funds up to $2,000 for improvements.
Those upset with Ragsdale’s public art project should consider instead the actions of Santiago Abreu, the Florida man who has filed dozens of lawsuits against Colorado businesses for ADA violations, including several in Durango. Nothing funny about the settlements he seeks.
By the way, it is OK to laugh at the stick man, Ragsdale says. It was intended to be funny, despite the fact that he took a tumble out of his electric scooter during the protest.
He only hopes that the point of the action will not wash away as easily as the chalk.
