In a recent article on Statesman.com, the mother of a boy with spina bifida and cerebral palsy who could not access a playground in his wheelchair commented:
“He goes out and he sits and watches as the other kids play. The only reason we’ve tolerated it this long is there are such good people and kids at the school, they come and play with him and try to bring him balls … every kid wants to be able to go independently where they can and not have to rely on everyone else to incorporate them.”
Putting ourselves in the position of the parent of this little boy is easy. The best part is that the story has a positive ending. The school district that runs Lakeway Elementary School in Lake Travis will tear down the old playground and construct a new one. The little boy will soon get to enjoy a new playground with the right ADA access.
In this case, it’s hard not to ask if parents and other concerned parties can be too patient. How much patience is too much? Sometimes, advocating for people with disabilities is a slow process. It takes a long time to effect change. In the end, if our advocacy works for our clients, we can feel content. We can feel as though we have truly accomplished our mission for equal access under the law. What’s most important for people with disabilities affected by instances of ADA non-compliance is achieving results.
ADA Compliance is Not an Option
It takes a lot of education for some parties we encounter to realize that making public facilities compliant with ADA is not optional. It’s the law. It’s only fair for everyone to be treated equally, especially where expenditure of taxpayer monies is concerned. We are serious about getting results for clients when it comes to ADA accessibility. For more details on the types of non-compliance that we handle, please contact us.