I realise that, on this list, the equation
"Impairment + Barriers = Disability"
that "Barriers" tends to mean attitudes (+ semantics), and actions (or
lack; like not funding a service) But a few of us on the list (and some
of us, are even "out" about it!) are also interested in "barriers" of
the kind that don't need hyper-theorization: The concrete kind.
New York City has a huge subway system. One must be able to climb
endless steps, to use nearly all of it. (This locks out -- not only
wheelchair users, but many many others.) Efforts to get it made fully
accessible (to make a very long story short) have almost totally failed.
(And the alternative "Access-A-Ride" system, is an absolute horror
show. Only the public busses are generally accessible; which can take
twice as long as a subway ride, and of course require much waiting,
outside, in the rain & snow.)
I happened to pick up a 1984 trash novel:
"MAYOR, AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY", by EDWARD I. KOCH. Well, it's supposed to be
"Non-Fiction", but...
Page 308:
(Meeting between New York City Mayor Ed Koch and President Ronald
Reagan, in the early 1980's)
QUOTE:
"Then I (Koch) said, "The other issue I wanted to discuss with you was
the mandates.* " (His footnote: The 504 mandate requires localities to
make mass-transit facilities equally accessible to the handicapped.) He
(the president) said" Oh, I have good news for you there too. WE ARE
GOING TO ADMINISTRATIVELY, if possible, and legislatively if required,
END YOUR NEED TO RETROFIT THE SUBWAYS..... (My emphasis.)...
I said, "Mr. President, that is wonderful. OUR FIGURES INDICATE
THAT ENDING THE 504 MANDATE WILL SAVE US THIRTY MILLION DOLLARS
ANNUALLY..."
(504 was a set of long-awaited regulations, from a U.S. federal law of
the 1970's. It's the reason why Washington, DC's own new subway system
was built accessibly, though its original design was intended to be not
accessible.)
Quote is from p. 308, of the 1985 paperback edition from Warner Books,
New York.)
It is interesting that this politically very skilled Democratic Party
(if not exactly "liberal") Mayor (he won three 4-year terms)..... in
the mid-80's.... felt NO political need to conceal this sleazy little
collusion with an ultra-conservative President, to violate people with
disabilities'' human rights, at all.
He just comes right out and says it, in his own self-serving "spin
control" book!
Nowadays, a NYC politician would feel some need to cover that up, or
"spin" it, or lie about it. It's interesting that one doesn't have to
go back more than 15 years, to find this kind of evidence, "(not from a
"conservative", but from a politician who had a very solid "liberal",
reputation as a Congress Member, before running for Mayor)...."right out
in the open". Diabled rights activism in New York City, was about a
decade old when this book came out, but apparently Koch still did not
fel the need to sweep this sordid little conversation, under the rug.
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