Expanding Access for the Disabled

The Bush Administration is pushing for new rules concerning the disabled. The new legislation would give people with disabilities more access to many facilities that they are currently barred from. It would also update and revise the national standards for the Americans with Disabilities Act in an effort to support an aging population and the growing number of disabled war veterans. The new legislation would affect more than seven milllion businesses and all state and local government agencies. Things as basic as the location of light switches would have to be modified. However, this number is small in comparison to the 51 million Americans who live with some sort of disability. Of course, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce criticizes the proposal, hailing it as costly. While the value of these public benefits was originally expected to reach $23 billion, it is now estimated at $54 billion. On the other hand, advocates for the disabled say that it isn’t drastic enough. By 2010, it is estimated that 2% of the adult population will use wheelchairs, while 4% will us some sort of mobility device. The proposed rules would change the way that facilities are built in order to be more accessible to the disabled. For exmaple, courts would have to provide a lift or ramp to make sure that people in wheelchairs could make it to the witness stand. Light switches in a hotel room could not be more than 48 inches high. Also, at least half the holes on a miniature golf course must be accessible to people in wheelchairs. As the war in Iraq continues, a new generation of disabled men and women are thrust into American society. As many of our clients each year have disabilities, we applaud the Bush Administration for their efforts to increase the accessability to public facilities for those who need it. Our law firm is among the leaders in protecting and expanding the rights of the disabled. Attorney Richard Bernstein manages a department of litigators who focus on representing the disabled in complex, groundbreaking civil rights litigation. His work has won important victories in cases involvolving the City of Detroit, Northwest Airlines, and the University of Michigan. To name a few.