Under the ADA, privately-owned businesses that serve the public such as restaurants, hotels, retail stores, taxicabs, theaters, concert halls and sports facilities are prohibited from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. The ADA requires that businesses allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals onto business premises in whatever areas customers are generally allowed. The ADA defines a service animal as any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. If they meet this definition, animals are considered service animals under the ADA regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state or local government. The ADA takes priority over any county health department or state or local laws regarding service animals. All service animals must be permitted to accompany the individual with a disability to all areas of the facility where customers are normally allowed to go. An individual with a service animal may not be segregated from other customers. A service animal is not a pet and the ADA requires that all businesses modify their "no pets" policy to allow the use of a service animal by a person with a disability. (Source: The U.S. Department of Justice, 1996)
Planning summer vacations and activities can be exciting, but it can also be stressful. The Internet provides a wealth of information on accessible travel spots and recreational and sports activities for people with disabilities. Unfortunately searching the net can be a time-consuming and sometimes frustrating endeavor.
In order to make it easier to find your desired vacation spot or activity, the best way to search is to type in specifically what you are looking for. A generic search of “accessible travel” is likely to net more advertisements and research articles that anything else. On the other hand, typing in “Florida vacation spots with access for the disabled” can produce wonders.
To find activities in your area or elsewhere, type in that activity and the name of the area you are looking for it in.
Have fun planning!! - ed
From e-bility.com-ed.
CHAIR WITH A VIEW By Judith Geppert
Over the last 50 years cerebral palsy has not stopped me from getting the most out of my life. I have scaled the heights of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, experienced the thrill of tandem skydiving and hot air ballooning, co-piloted a Ferrari racing car, notching up speeds of 200 kph and on most Saturdays, a solo sailor around Manly Cove. The only drawback is that I have had to face the world, in a wheelchair, looking at people's 'butts' and 'navels'.
But not anymore….I have finally found the solution……
I bought myself a new highly maneuverable power drive elevating wheelchair; with a cantilever lift system (12 inch vertical lift). It has a compact design superb for indoor use and a sport-trac suspension for a smooth and stable ride over challenging terrain. With the assistance from the highly skilled technicians at the TASC Workshop (The Spastic Centre), solutions were made for the mounting of the foot controller and a switching device which has given me the ability to operate this chair to its full potential.
Now, my Environment has opened up- I can do so many things that many people take for granted. I can sit at a kitchen counter, reach the supermarket shelves, am able to see over people in crowds, at sporting events or rock concerts, access the high counters in banks and some government offices, reach for books and CDs at the library and most importantly, have social contact with the general community at eye level.
As a motivational speaker and lecturer at the University of Sydney I can now sit tall at the podium and deliver my speeches, like any other person. This chair also affords me more independence, which I cherish, to mix socially with friends or work colleagues for an after work 'happy hour' at the local bar.
My plans for the next 50 years? There will be no more being looked down on, no more being left out of conversations, and no more eyeballing people's butts.
