Today, We Americans with disabilities , are celebrating the signing of American with Disabilities Act - ADA. The law signed by President George Herbert Walker Bush on July 26, 1990.
Before the ADA, life was very for difficult for PWD's. Discrimination was rampant.
There were no jobs, and if anyone lucky to have a job, there was no accessible public transportation. The MTA workers were horrible, mean people. When the first city buses were installed with wheelchairs lifts, some drivers would acquire selective blindness. when seeing any person in a wheelchair at a bus stop, the driver would not stop and continue driving on to the next stop.
Navigating and Crossing the streets in NYC was a daunting impossible obstacle course for anyone in a wheelchair . The subway system was totally inaccessible. Thanks to the ADA , today some major subway stations have elevators . Presently, The MTA is working and struggling to make it more accessible but the City and the system of railroads is antiquated and trillions of dollars is needed to make fully accessible.
The MTA in order to comply with the ADA law, created Access A Ride. A semi-private system of white buses and vans whom The disabled community has jokingly dubbed Stress A Ride.
I want to dedicate this thread to my mentor and friend Marty Sesmer( RIP). He with many others disabled advocates spent their lives and continue to work tirelessly to make the Good Ol' USA a great home for PWD's
We are going to be celebrating today in Gracie Mansion- lets have a toast for Marty, Denise, Statue of Liberty , The Constitution and to the vision and wisdom of our Forefathers and Pres. H.W Bush. CHEERS!
Thank you Good Lord for giving us this beautiful planet!
Before the ADA, life was very for difficult for PWD's. Discrimination was rampant.
There were no jobs, and if anyone lucky to have a job, there was no accessible public transportation. The MTA workers were horrible, mean people. When the first city buses were installed with wheelchairs lifts, some drivers would acquire selective blindness. when seeing any person in a wheelchair at a bus stop, the driver would not stop and continue driving on to the next stop.
Navigating and Crossing the streets in NYC was a daunting impossible obstacle course for anyone in a wheelchair . The subway system was totally inaccessible. Thanks to the ADA , today some major subway stations have elevators . Presently, The MTA is working and struggling to make it more accessible but the City and the system of railroads is antiquated and trillions of dollars is needed to make fully accessible.
The MTA in order to comply with the ADA law, created Access A Ride. A semi-private system of white buses and vans whom The disabled community has jokingly dubbed Stress A Ride.
I want to dedicate this thread to my mentor and friend Marty Sesmer( RIP). He with many others disabled advocates spent their lives and continue to work tirelessly to make the Good Ol' USA a great home for PWD's
We are going to be celebrating today in Gracie Mansion- lets have a toast for Marty, Denise, Statue of Liberty , The Constitution and to the vision and wisdom of our Forefathers and Pres. H.W Bush. CHEERS!
Thank you Good Lord for giving us this beautiful planet!
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