Breaking Down Barriers: The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 and Its Significance to the Disability Community

Hello again, yes it’s me your friendly neighborhood super advocate. A warm welcome to all of my new readers who are checking out the blog for the first time. I want to welcome you to a friendly, engaging, informative, and sometimes funny look at anything and everything that has to do with disabilities and the disability community. To all my returning readers, welcome back. No matter which group you fall into, you’ve stumbled upon the Voiceless Minority on a very special day. Yes, it has finally happened after a decade of writing this blog - today marks the 100th post for the Voiceless Minority. I could not have done it without you. I started this blog as an outlet for my anger and the hurt I was feeling after being denied the opportunity to follow what I truly believed at the time was my passion. When I started this blog, I thought I wanted to be a high school history teacher and teach theater after school. I apparently didn’t know myself as well as I thought. They say that “things happen for a reason” or as I like to call it listening to God and actually paying attention to what He is saying by applying it to your life.

Since this post celebrates an important milestone in my advocacy, I felt that it would be fitting to write a post about a specific movement within disability history that recently celebrated its own 55th anniversary. Now that we’ve celebrated the success of The Voiceless Minority, it is time to get back to what this blog is all about, disability advocacy and the disability community as a whole. On August 12th we celebrated the Architectural Barriers Act and its impact on the disability community.  Even though it was passed 55 years ago it still has a great amount of impact on the lives of people with disabilities today. I hope you enjoy the rest of the blog. 

In 1968, amidst the civil rights movement and a wave of legislative changes, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) into law. This groundbreaking legislation was a pivotal moment in the history of disability rights in the United States. The ABA aimed to eliminate physical barriers that hindered access for individuals with disabilities in federally funded buildings and facilities, setting the stage for more inclusive and accessible spaces. In this blog post, we will delve into the significance of the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 for the disability community and its lasting impact on the built environment.

Before the ABA, people with disabilities faced numerous challenges when trying to access public buildings, transportation, and facilities. Rampant architectural barriers such as stairs without ramps or elevators, narrow doorways, and inaccessible restrooms limited their mobility and independence. These barriers perpetuated discrimination and exclusion, making it difficult for individuals with disabilities to participate fully in public life.

Key Provisions of the ABA

The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 addressed these issues head-on by requiring that all federally funded buildings and facilities be designed, constructed, and altered to be accessible To people with disabilities. Here are some of the key provisions that make the ABA an important piece of legislation:

1. Definition of Covered Buildings: The ABA applies to buildings and facilities designed, constructed, altered, or leased with federal funds. This includes a wide range of structures, from government offices and post offices to national parks and military bases.

2. Accessibility Standards: The ABA established specific accessibility standards and guidelines, ensuring that facilities would be designed to accommodate people with various types of disabilities. These standards laid the foundation for subsequent accessibility regulations, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.

3. Enforcement Mechanisms: The ABA empowered the U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (often referred to as the "Access Board") to develop and maintain accessibility standards. Federal agencies were responsible for enforcing these standards and ensuring compliance in their projects.

Impact on the Disability Community

The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 had a profound and lasting impact on the disability community for several reasons:

1. Increased Accessibility: The ABA led to the removal of many physical barriers in federally funded buildings, making them more accessible to people with disabilities. This change greatly improved the quality of life for individuals who previously faced significant limitations in their daily activities.

2. Trailblazing Legislation: The ABA set a precedent for disability rights legislation in the United States. It paved the way for subsequent laws like the ADA, which extended accessibility requirements to the private sector, further enhancing the rights and opportunities of individuals with disabilities.

3. Promotion of Inclusivity: By requiring accessible design in federally funded facilities, the ABA promoted a culture of inclusivity and equality. It sent a powerful message that all citizens, regardless of their abilities, have the right to access and participate in public life.

4. Advocacy and Awareness: The ABA spurred advocacy efforts within the disability community and raised awareness about the importance of accessible design. This activism contributed to the passage of subsequent legislation and the ongoing work to ensure equal access for all.

The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 stands as a crucial milestone in the history of disability rights and accessibility in the United States. By addressing the physical barriers that hindered access to federally funded buildings and facilities, this legislation laid the foundation for a more inclusive society. It empowered the disability community, promoted equal rights, and set the stage for further advancements in accessibility. As we reflect on the legacy of the ABA, it is clear that its importance to the disability community cannot be overstated, and its impact continues to be felt today as we strive for a more inclusive and accessible future for all.

If you enjoyed this blog, please leave a comment either on this post or on our social media. Even if you don’t accept or agree with all the information presented above, we hope you keep coming back to continue to learn about the disability community. 

Till tomorrow, 

Jay

It's Time to Get Political Again

So, I was talking to a couple friends tonight and I realized that I missed another episode of Speechless. For those who don’t know, Speechless is a show about a young boy named JJ with Cerebral Palsy. JJ cannot speak and has a wonderful mom as a disability advocate. The cool thing about this show is that as a few shows in the past, they actually use an individual with a disability to play the disabled character. I wrote a blog early on in the history of this blog that was relevant to tonight’s episode. Tonight’s episode dealt with the idea of “inspiration porn”. I will not go into detail about the episode as I have not watched it fully yet. Towards the end of this blog, I will link the above-mentioned post. Why am I writing about it now? I am writing because it is amazing that a major network like ABC is finally paying attention to disability issues and portraying them fairly. Perhaps if this show gets picked up for more seasons the perception of people with disabilities in society may change in time. It is up to the mainstream media, people with disabilities and their allies to help shape societies view of a minority long silenced. When I contemplated writing this blog today, Speechless had nothing to do with the topic but I realize now that it is a key part of why I need to write the following: I am a Republican with a disability. Most people outside of the disability community would ask, "Why to attach something political to a disability?" Politics is a hard topic for people to swallow and so is a disability. Why combine such controversial topics? The answer is quite simple. It is time that people with disabilities take more of a political stance and fight for more of what they want, need, and desire. Anybody who read yesterday’s post knows that I went to the Florida SAND conference last weekend. There was a small political presence at this conference. But the number of attendees at the conference was small in comparison to the number of people with disabilities that need to be heard. I am writing today to not only complain but suggest a solution. I am currently working on a radio show about disability advocacy. The individual who gave me this opportunity put another idea in my head as well. To have a political voice one needs to have voting power. Individual voices can make noise but if a large portion of a population shouts the same message it is more apt to be heard. In the recent election, this could be seen through Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump neither candidate fit the typical mold and they didn’t do things quietly. It is the time that people with disabilities make their voice heard. I live in Florida and I am suggesting to any Floridian who is an advocate orally that it is time to build a disability caucus in Florida. Below are the names of all 27 Florida Congressmen and women, I am urging you to read the post I recently put up entitled An Open letter to President-Elect Trump. In it, I discussed some important legislation that is currently up for debate in the house. Read the article and go and read the legislation known as the “Time Act” and contact these congressmen and let them know that, to steal from your Florida SAND anthem “Our Voice Matters.”

Debbie Wasserman

Charlie Crist

Stephanie Murphy

Brian Mast

Llena Ros-Lehtinen

Carlos Curbelo

Mario Diaz-Balart

Ted Yoho

Val Demings

Frederica Wilson

Ron Desantis

Alcee Hastings

Kathy Castor

Ted Deutch

Darren Soto

Gus Bilirakis

Vern Buchanan

Francis Rooney

Bill Posey

Lois Frankel

Dennis A. Ross

John Rutherford

Matt Gaetz

Tom Rooney

Neal Dunn

Al Lawson

Daniel Webster

http://thevoicelssminority.blogspot.com/2014/06/i-dont-want-destiny-you-have-planned.html

http://thevoicelssminority.blogspot.com/2016/12/an-open-letter-to-president-elect-trump.html

Florida Sand, The First Time Was A Charm

So, this weekend I attended my first Florida SAND conference. At first, I wasn't sure what to expect; I had never been to an event like this. I had heard mixed reviews from those who have attended in the past. It started slow; there were a bit of technical and arrival glitches with myself and my PCA. However, once we got there, it quickly became apparent that this would not be anything like I had heard.

Friday night was a chill night; I met some pretty amazing people and lost Uno's rather exciting game of No official conference business that took place that night. Although my PCA won a bag of espresso beans for some strange reason, I was hoping we would win the autographed football but still pretty awesome.

Saturday was the heart of the conference, right away Saturday morning, I realized that something was different. My college brain had kicked in again, and I was in learning mode. I have tried two other academic endeavors since I graduated with my Masters, one in real estate and one in Political Science. Neither of those was as engaging as the Florida SAND conference was. I guess it just took my brain a while to realize that disability advocacy was what it wanted to focus on. As the Saturday session progressed, we voted on the legislative platform. Without getting into the details of the proceedings, I will say that we came up with two legislative issues: That of provider rates and transportation.

One of Florida SAND's essential functions is to provide a legislative platform for people with developmental disabilities. After the legislative part of the conference ended, we broke for lunch, where we were randomly mixed with other groups that had attended the meeting. We were then given a challenge to overcome, having the sense of humor that I find the word challenge ironic. The challenges ranged from how we would react to being denied the right to vote to the somewhat controversial challenge of meeting Donald Trump. While I am supportive of Trump, I will leave my feelings about that for another blog.

After lunch, the conference broke into my favorite sessions; characteristically, at that point, my body intervened. First, I witnessed an excellent presentation on marketing and fundraising that I was not familiar with. It was given by the head of the conference and her husband. After this, I was hoping to attend a session on recruiting allies and like-minded individuals. Unfortunately, medical issues intervened. I was able to come back near the end of the session and caught some great tidbits from a woman named Whitney and a gentleman by the name of Arizona.

 The day's final session piqued my interest because it dealt with increasing one's voice on social media. This blog has been going on for quite some time now, but I learned some valuable do's and don'ts for an increasing presence on social media and using it effectively to advance one's cause. The night ended with a dinner at a local Olive Garden type restaurant and an optional dance. Seeing as how I don't have all that great of moves with or without the chair, I spent most of the dance talking to some great people. I then went back up to my room to watch some TV before calling it a night.

 

The last day of the conference consisted of a general board meeting for all Florida SAND members. The conference wrapped up around midday on Sunday. Overall the discussion was very informative and very productive for me on a personal level. This was the first time that the conference had been held in nearly two years. However, it was hard to tell that there had been such a large gap between this conference and the last one. It seemed as if the conference and its organizers had put an extreme amount of effort to present a quality experience for all those involved. Some things need to be improved upon, but improvement is always a good thing; nothing is ever perfect. 

A Fresh Start

It has been nearly eight months since there has been anything new posted on this blog. A lot has happened in eight months hiatus. I have finished my master's degree program in Teacher Education. However, due to the trials and struggles that have occurred during that process, which can be read about in earlier entries, my focus has drifted away from teaching and advocacy for persons with disabilities.

Most of this blog has been dedicated to advocacy and discussing various issues that people with disabilities encounter. However, the point of view of the author, me, has changed. A lot of the writing in earlier entries came in a time of my life when I was unhappy with the circumstances faced with. I have since re-evaluated The Voiceless Minority. There was a time where I thought about abandoning the project altogether if I'm honest. However, I decided I would resurrect the blog at this time and take it in a slightly new direction. It will still address social issues, but I will also address practical problems.

One of our more critical topics that will be discussed is, "Is it Accessible?" In this series, I will break down all the places I've traveled to or have been. After doing so, I will examine specific criteria to determine whether areas are accessible by paper standards vs. accessible. Apart from the "Is it Accessible?" series, the blog will focus on current events and real-world issues that may or may not be related to disability. This shift in focus is not meant to take away from the foundation of this blog; rather, it is meant to demonstrate that people with disabilities have a highly engaged mind. To undertake this part of the blog, I may, at certain times, ask for issues to investigate from you, the readers. You can find my email to the right of any page, three-fourths of the way down the page, under the links that say, "Contact Me."



Thank you for reading, and I fear nothing and regret less.

Just A Few Questions

What is it to be disabled? Disability is a label that society puts on you, but this label has preconceived notions that come with it. This label often causes others to view the one with a disability as something less than human. However, there is more to disability than just a label. A recent situation that has come up regarding my disability has inspired me to write this blog.

            As many of you know, I have Cerebral Palsy. Due to the Cerebral Palsy, I require aide care. In a book that I am in the process of publishing, I describe my journey through grad school and the aide care system. However, the aide care system needs a wake-up call. Recently, I have switched to an agency model of care. I am aware that this is a different type of care system, in that I do not hire my employees anymore. However, lately, I feel like a pawn in the aide care system chess game.

            When I accepted this agency to take over my care management, I was made specific promises. Before I get into them, I must say that I am aware of my extreme reliance on other people. That being said, the aide care agency promised me that I would have a consistent team of care providers who were familiar with somebody with my level of care needs. That has not been the case. The exact opposite has occurred. I feel like I am in that annoying little shell game; you see people play on the boardwalk. You never know where the marble is going to be. I never know who will end up at my house, but that is not the worst part of it, and that is not what inspired me to write this blog. That is just a little backstory.

            What burns me up is an incident that occurred yesterday. They sent me an individual who I have had issues with in the past. This individual is supposedly a certified CAN, but she did not act like it. She was very uncomfortable with the job's duties, such as taking me to the bathroom and whipping my butt. Even something as simple as feeding me was a problem. I have reported this to the agency before but yesterday was extremely bad. To top it all off, the agency is a "no lift" agency. This means that their employees are not allowed to lift me, which is fine, because I have what is known as a Hoyer lift.  The lift allows the user to hook me up with a sling and then pump me up into the air to lift me in the chair to my bed or wherever. How can an agency be a no lift agency and not train their employees to use the required equipment? Just a thought.

            When I bring this point up to the agency, they reply that all employees are trained on the equipment. Cleary yesterday was an example that they were not. This brings up a more significant issue in the aide care game. Why do agencies false advertise to get consumers in their payroll?  I am used to aides switching constantly, but it makes me wonder about people nowadays when numerous people promised me.  Why make a promise you have no intention of keeping or unable to keep to make yourself sound better? Good intentions are great, but they don't get you very far in the aide care game. It is time to stop dealing with false promises but deals in realities. There should be a better screening process for aide selection and agencies, mine and others should not promise things they cannot or will not deliver. 

Sad Times At KFC

            What a disgrace! These are the first three words that came to mind when I read an article on the social media giant known as Facebook recently. The report detailed how KFC, a chicken place famous in the U.S. A turned a little girl away because Pit bulls had recently mauled her. According to the article, "She has turned out because other patrons may be scared by her face and injuries. The link to the full report can be found at the end of this post.

            When I first read this, I couldn't believe that it could be true. However, since I read the article in the day and a half, I have read other people's posts about the incident, which leaves me to believe that it is true. Not only do I feel bad for the little girl who is most likely going to have psychological damage for a long time, but I feel bad for society.

            It is 2014, and we still have people who hold archaic views on the difference. I get that KFC cannot control their employees' attitudes, but I sincerely hope that the employee who said this was fired. Since then, KFC has offered to pay 30,000 dollars towards the girl's medical bills. It's sad to think that this is just a PR move, but that is honestly what I believe. In my opinion, KFC is not doing because it is the right thing to do to fix the injustice done, but they are doing it save face.

            What kind of country have we become that in 2014, the difference is still looked upon individually so negatively. No, the girl did not have a permanent disability, but she does have a temporary one. This is why I write about the article here. The KFC incident reinforces my idea that disability is not physical and mental, but social. Let me explain.

When someone is classified with a physical disability, in society, that is, it means they are a lower class of citizen. What it means, though, is that they do things a little differently. Their physical differences do not limit them except in very few tasks. What limits them the most is society's perception of what they should be able to do. The KFC individual has such an archaic view of disability that he could not even think before imposing social restrictions and barriers on the little girl. However, an incident like this is not isolated. It reminds me of an experience in a movie called The Music Within. The film is about the development of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In the film, the lead character, a disabled man, is turned away from a North West restaurant because of how he eats pancakes. In that movie, the incident occurred before the Americans with Disabilities Act was made into law, and it showed that people in that era were not accepting of difference. My question is: how long before that era is over?

 

http://www.people.com/article/kfc-pays-medical-bills-girl-pitbull-att

I don’t want the destiny you have planned for me: I’ll make my own. Thank You!

It's been a long time since I have written, but I recently watched a video that got me thinking. The video is linked below. I have shared it tons of times since I have watched it. In it, the speaker Stella Young brings up an idea of something called inspiration porn.

            She says that the lie that has been perpetrated is more social than physical. I could not agree with her more when I posted the following status "No, I am Not an inspiration for getting my Master's degree and having a disability. No, I am Not an inspiration for getting out of bed every day. Having a disability doesn't make me inspiration, just food for thought." I got a mix back of responses. Some did not understand my point for posting the status, my point being that the inspirational things that I have done should have nothing to do with my disability. My achievements should be based strictly on their merit. They should not have an asterisk by them simply because I have a disability. I haven't achieved much. I have done what you are supposed to do in life, but I get extra credit because I am disabled, and no one expected me to do it. In my experience, the only significant achievement that I have that is out of the ordinary is that I have just completed a book.

            The book, however, is not yet even an achievement because it is not published. I am working on getting it published, but I am not done yet. The fact that I got my Master's degree is not an achievement in my eyes because a master's degree in education is only as useful as the effort you put into it. I do not have a job, nor at this time do I have any prospects. What I do have is 3 degrees that I have not used. Determination to make society understand disability as not something different, not something negative, but rather just another obstacle. Along the way, I will encounter resistance, even from loved ones. Why is this?

            As I said, I have a master's degree in education. For that Master's degree, I was required to take classes on "educating children with special needs."  The language and lexicon taught in these courses indicate the overall problem: Society, with the rare exception, views disability as so unique and rare that they do not know how to handle it. They are preconceived notions of what disabled people can and cannot achieve, how their lives should or should not go. This is even true in the case of my parents. Without getting into too much of the debate we have had recently, I can say that parents often mean well but do more than good. Just because our bodies are "physically disabled or exceptional," as they call it in the education classes, doesn't mean our spirits are. It doesn't mean that we don't have normal drives and determinations. It doesn't mean we don't deserve to make our own decisions. If anything, just because we don't have a disabled spirit, people are confused.

            Common assumptions I hear regarding my physical disability aren't always limited to my mental facilities. Yes, people assume that just because I am physically disabled, I am mentally challenged, but they make other equally hurtful assumptions. For example, I have had many people that I know say that I am crazy for going sky-diving because of my disability. I might be fantastic for wanting to go sky diving, but my physical disability should have nothing to do with it. Why should my disability hold me back from doing anything if I find a way to do it? A more powerful assumption was that we never thought you would live on your own. We are so impressed by what you have done. Why is it impressive? Am I supposed to sit in the basement of Mommy and Daddy's house forever? I guess so. Just because I don't live on my own normally doesn't mean I am incapable of doing it. Yes, I have aides that come in and help, and there are glitches along the way, which most people don't have to face, but I make it work. I was even told by a close family member that they were surprised that I am living independently. They never thought it would happen. I should not be surprised by these comments, and in a way, I am not. I am amazed that it is 2014, and we still have such an archaic view of disabilities.

            I realize that there are differences between generations, and sadly we are only a product of our experiences. That being said, sometimes I feel that in my little corner of the world, even though I know many people with disabilities, I am the only one fighting against the role society has told us we should play. In my estimation, it seems as if other people with disabilities are ok being used as inspirational porn. They don't view their disabilities as a societal obstacle, and maybe that is the problem. We need to stop focusing on the physical disability model and focus on the social model of disability for a real change to occur. Will this ever happen? If I have anything to do about it, I am afraid that I cannot be the only voice in my fight. My circle of influence may be small for now, and I will do what I can to irritate and go against my societal role, but for those who know me, who also have disabilities, it is time for you to join the fight as well. Don't accept someone else's destiny before you make your own.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K9Gg164Bsw

Moving Along

            It’s funny what you find on the Internet. It’s been a while since I’ve written anything because I’ve been busy reading and writing a book, but today I came across something noteworthy. As many of you know, I recently graduated with my masters who have followed this blog. You may not know that I have been planning to move from my Pennsylvania home to a home in Florida.

            The home is currently being built, so as far as a physical structure, I will have an accessible place to live, but moving is never simple when you are non-disabled, much less when you are disabled. Because I require so much physical care, I use at home health services to provide that care. I use these services to avoid going into a group home or a nursing home. These services fall under what is known as home and community-based services.

            As of today, there are no uniformed national standards for home and community-based care services. Each state can set its criteria as to how to dispense these services. Why is this a problem, one might ask? Under the current system, the way services are proportioned only accounts for disabled individuals who want to stay near their hometown or area they live in currently. There is a significant gap between uses if you are a disabled individual moving from place to area. This can present a problem because it does not view disabled individuals as people, but rather as fixed pieces on a chessboard that stands still. Disabled people have just as much desire to grow and explore the world as everyone else. However, there is hope on the horizon.

            In an article found in Disability Scoop, Michelle Diamante outlines possible hope for people who use community-based services. She details what is currently know about the impossible senate bill from an Iowa Senator to improve community-based services. While the article does not include many details about the account, Diamante does quote the senators senior aide as saying “(Harkin) is currently looking at developing legislation that would enhance community access, inclusion, and support to ensure that all individuals with disabilities can receive home and community-based services and supports in their towns, cities, and neighborhoods throughout America.” All of this came about as a result of a report/study by the senator’s office, in which Senator Harkin found” Chairman Harkin’s 2013 investigative report‎ showed that the integration mandate of the ADA, reinforced by the Supreme Court Olmstead ruling, still is not being met across the United States”. To better understand this quote, let us look further at the Olmstead ruling of 1999.

            To begin with, the Olmstead case had to do with two women in Georgia. They were voluntarily committed to a psychiatric wing of a hospital. The women had both mental and developmental disabilities. After their initial psychiatric treatment was complete, it was determined that they should be moved to a community-based program, rather than be confined to a nursing home or institution. Unfortunately for them, both remained in the hospital for several years until they filed suit under the ADA in 1999 for release from the hospital.

            This case was critical because it determined, where appropriate, community-based services should be sought over institutionally based services for people with disabilities. The senators’ proposed bill may provide hope for increased funding and fewer gaps in care for people with disabilities, but only time will tell.

 

http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2014/05/19/senator-strengthen-disability/19374/

http://www.ada.gov/olmstead/olmstead_about.htm