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by H.P. Barrett III
The following news and feature pieces were written for the award winning Access Life.Com. Encompassing all aspects of life, i.e., society, the law, courts, medicine and the world of technology has been (or will be) written. Plaintiffs fight against mass transit By H.P. BARRETT III For AccessLife.com (Posted August 4, 2000.) Three disability organizations and at least 25 named individuals across the United States are going head to head with mass transit providers seeking injunctive relief and punitive damages. They are citing inoperable lifts and wheelchair securement systems as primary violations. All of these cases hinge on Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act that prohibits discrimination by any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. To view the entire story: http://www.accesslife.com/scripts/saisapi.dll/catalog.class/news/20000804-LAW-Masstransit.html
Bus systems slowly updating their fleets For AccessLife.com Recent law suits against transit authorities in Los Angeles, Chicago and Denver concerning problem wheelchair lifts may be a sign of frustration by people with disabilities. But it's not necessarily the fault of the transit agencies, experts say. Federal regulations and a scramble by manufacturers to update their models also explain why some bus systems are not flawlessly serving all of their riders, according to Steve Jaffe, president of Transit Access, a Valley Glen, Calif. consulting firm specializing in issues related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in public transit... To view the complete article: Veterans get good news on spinal care For AccessLife.com For about 40,000 U.S. service veterans with a spinal cord injury, and subsequently to the benefit of the estimated 250,000 Americans experiencing the catastrophic disability, recent news from Washington is promising. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently announced that more than 1,200 beds in 23 spinal cord injury centers and extended-care nursing home units will be fully staffed for expanded "top priority" services in fiscal year 2001, according to a directive issued from the newly appointed acting secretary of veterans affairs, Hershel Gober... To view the complete article: http://www.accesslife.com/scripts/saisapi.dll/catalog.class/news/20000825-GOV-vaspinal.html John Lancaster: Disability advocate by choice By H.P. Barrett III For AccessLife.com An attorney by trade, a paraplegic by fate, a staunch rights advocate by choice -- John Lancaster began his public service as staff legal advisor with the Board of Veterans Appeals in Washington in 1974. To view the entire article: Three charged with illegal autism drug sale over the Internet By H.P. Barrett III For AccessLife.com Selling any drug without a doctor's prescription is illegal, but selling a misbranded, unapproved 'miracle cure' for autism over the Internet threatens to put three people from San Diego behind bars for up to 17 years. To view the entire story: http://www.accesslife.com/scripts/saisapi.dll/catalog.class/news/20000721-HEN-HEA-Secretinsale.html Conflicts highlight challenge for police and the deaf For AccessLife.com Dennis Ray Hunt, who could not hear or speak, was struck July 31 while handcuffed by a Fayetteville, N.C. police officer. That same month in Victoria, Texas, Aubrey Pyle, a 58-year-old deaf man, was awarded $230,000 in federal court after being arrested in 1998 and held for three days in jail. He failed a sobriety test because he could not hear the instructions given by the officers. To view the entire story: http://www.accesslife.com/scripts/saisapi.dll/catalog.class/news/20000825-GOV-deafandpolice.html Telecommunications companies move cautiously toward universal access By H.P. Barrett III For AccessLife.com There is good news coming this year for some of the 54 million disabled Americans waiting to make a telephone call. Manufacturers, service providers and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are now working out the kinks in the Telecommunications Act's provision entitled Section 255. This "goal of universal access" directs the industry to make services and equipment accessible to the disabled "to the extent that it is readily achievable to do so." Section 255 provisions were heralded by the FCC as "the most significant governmental action for people with disabilities since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990," said FCC Chairman William E. Kennard. To view the complete article: Bush unveils 'Freedom Initiative' For AccessLife.com Acknowledging the 10th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the ADA Torch Relay, Presidential candidate Gov. George W. Bush unveiled a new program to help people with disabilities live more independently. To view the complete article: http://www.accesslife.com/scripts/saisapi.dll/catalog.class/news/20000616-LAW-relayupdate.html Many voters still undecided as advocates push registration effort By H.P. Barrett III For AccessLife.com Disability rights activists from around the country appear to be split on a choice for our next president. They do, however, recognize the power of 35-million people with disabilities of voting age, making up the largest minority block in the country, is of paramount importance in protecting the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and gains achieved in the last 10 years. John Lancaster, executive director of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities called the 2000 campaign a watershed election. Lancaster first joined the President's Committee in 1994 as a special assistant under Justin Dart and a Republican administration. Tony Coelho and the Clinton democrats then appointed him to the committee again in 1995, so he's seen both sides... To view the complete article: Communication: Primary goal for deaf By H.P. Barrett III For AccessLife.com According to leaders of the African-American deaf community, improving communication within their group and to the hearing world is one of the main challenges of the coming years. Among the ways to accomplish this goal is to reach out to other organizations that advocate for African Americans, such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), said Chuck Williams, one of the organizers for National Black Deaf Advocates (NBDA), a support and advocacy group for African Americans who are deaf. This organization held its national conference recently in Houston. To view the complete article: http://www.accesslife.com/scripts/saisapi.dll/catalog.class/resources/20000818-ADA-Deafconf.html Abilene's Centennial Park is 100 percent accessible By H.P. Barrett III For AccessLife.com For a "city within a city" boasting a proud population of 585 residents, and especially the 350 who use wheelchairs, a dream is about to be realized that puts a whole new spin on independence and at least partial integration into, and interaction with, the surrounding community as a whole. But the amazing part of this awakening is the effort and cooperation put forward by state, city and citizens alike. To view the entire article: http://www.accesslife.com/scripts/saisapi.dll/catalog.class/travel/20000721-FEA-Centennialpark.html Bicycle trek to link nation For AccessLife.com The Face of America has more looks than Lon Chaney in a house of mirrors. Sponsored by World T.E.A.M. Sports of Charlotte, N.C., in partnership with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), the 22-day national celebration, Face of America, is billed as "a sporting and humanitarian event that will be different from anything our nation has ever experienced." To view the complete article: http://www.accesslife.com/scripts/saisapi.dll/catalog.class/sports/20000505-SNE-faceofamerica.html Tall ships offer 'working' cruises By H.P. Barrett III For AccessLife.com Whether you label it a working-vacation, or a vacation adventure-for many disabled fun seekers, the thought of actively crewing aboard a tall ship and sailing through the British Canary Islands may have been just a dream that seemed impossible-until now. Offering two cruise programs for people with disabilities to perform all tasks, and "share the challenge of crewing a ship on as near equal terms as possible," the Jubilee Sailing Trust, Ltd. (UK) has christened the new three-masted barque, Tenacious, to join with the world famous Lord Nelson for the 2000 to 2001 cruise season. Cruise lengths may vary from an excursion of a few days to several weeks of adventure. To view the entire article: http://www.accesslife.com/scripts/saisapi.dll/catalog.class/travel/20000407-FEA-JUBILEESAILING.html Reflections on the ADA By H.P. Barrett III For AccessLife.com (Personality Profiles)
The Americans with Disabilities Act means a lot of things to different people. Some opinion leaders in the disabilities community recently reflected on what the ADA means to them and how it has changed their lives. Here are their thoughts: To view profiles of five major disability advocates in the US, including Justin Dart, see: http://www.accesslife.com/scripts/saisapi.dll/catalog.class/news/20000707-NEW-Adareflections.html |
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