Re: context and Raspberries

Chris: "... Play up the "curb-cut" philosphy..."

WL:: It is interesting that the physical curb-cuts are mainly in place
because of governmental action and that it took decades and billions to
make them widespread enough to make them a significant part of the lives
of people using wheelchairs.  In fact there was almost *no* "education"
about their importance and few recognized that their main use would be
for strollers, shopping carts, and skateboards (the three s's of modern
society).

Chris: "This message *does* work, but it takes time and effort to grind
it out."

WL:: The evidence that "education" works in these contexts is, on the
surface, appealing since it avoids confrontational ethics considerations
but in practice the civil rights movement without Charles Sims and the
Deacons for Defense and Justice (look it up!) - but only with "passive
resistance" (whatever that is) and resonant voices - would still be all
in vain like the Disability Rights Movement before the militancy of Ed
Roberts and the others who participated in the 504 sit-ins, and
wheelchairs chained to bus stops thirty years ago.  Because we are
concerned with (mostly) the Web aspect of the subject column we haven't
addressed the even more horrible aspect of his piece that deals with bus
lifts and the Greyhound Company's unconscionable tactics in delaying
access for people with disabilities to the transport system -  which not
incidentally is only possible because of tax-supported highways.  In
part because one of our main allies in WAI matters is the disability
community we must always bear in mind that in the same sense they have
spoken out for our concerns (which often don't directly affect them) we
must aid their efforts at access to the built environment.
-- 
Love.
            ACCESSIBILITY IS RIGHT - NOT PRIVILEGE
http://dicomp.pair.com

Received on Wednesday, 18 November 1998 09:41:26 UTC