| One of Washington's dirty little secrets: How to avoid ...
You won't believe this. Or maybe you will if you run and hide when you hear, "Hi, we're from your government, and we're here to help you."
In this case, the chilling greeting comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), those wonderful folks who since 9/11 (under strict orders from the recently-resigned Secretary Norman Mineta) have been wanding little old ladies from Keokuk, Iowa, at America's airports all in the name of political correctness. DOT now has decided that it will apply the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in such a manner as to make it theoretically easier for the wheelchair-bound to board passenger trains.
There is just one problem, and in a metaphorical sense, it comes under the heading of the old gag, "The operation was a great success, but the patient died."
DOT has proposed a rule requiring that every single passenger train platform in the United States (1) stretches the full length of the longest train that serves the route, and (2) provides level (no steps) boarding for all doors.
Wheelchair lifts
Wheelchair Lift was designed and engineered for home use. It's easy to operate, easy to install and virtually maintenance free. Every safety detail has been carefully designed into these lifts. Including a non-slip platform, constant pressure switches, a low platform for easy roll-on/roll-off, safety barrier and railing, and rolled edges.
Handi-Ramp® Residential Wheelchair Lifts have maximum lift heights of either 50 inches or 72 inches. These Wheelchair Lifts are sturdy enough to lift and lower up to 500 pounds and will accommodate electric wheelchairs and scooters. Running on a gear box and chain, these wheelchair lifts provide a smooth and quiet up and down ride, requiring little maintenance. All mechanics are fully enclosed, yet are easy to access through the rear or front of the housing unit. The wheelchair lifts are completely weatherized and attractively finished in off-white.
FEATURE - India's downtrodden disabled find power in the law
BANGALORE (Reuters) - When disabled Hindu worshippers in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu were blocked from entering temples with their wheelchairs and crutches, Meenakshi Balasubramanian knew she had the law on her side. The disabled rights activist, who herself has polio, sued the temple authorities in the state's high court, and won. Today, she said, temples must provide wheelchairs to disabled visitors if they ban them from bringing in their own medical equipment on the basis the devices are ritually impure. "I do feel it's our right, a religious right, a fundamental right," Balasubramanian said. "We need to be allowed to worship the way we want to." Tired of waiting for the government to safeguard their rights to pray, work, learn and travel, India's 22 million disabled people are increasingly turning to the courts.
|
