RIGHTS WATCH : Barrier Erosion

Forty-three million Americans face special challenges every day. They are blind, deaf, paralyzed, speech-impaired, developmentally disabled or have the virus that causes AIDS. Some may overcome their particular challenge; most will not. But now, thanks to a new federal law, for the most part they no longer will have to confront physical barriers that kept many public places off-limits.

The first phase of the American With Disabilities Act requires the “readily achievable” removal of architectural and other barriers in public accommodations such as hotels, restaurants, stores, banks, theaters and gas stations. It took effect Sunday.

The new protections broaden the mandate of landmark civil rights laws that bar discrimination based on race, gender, national origin or religion in public accommodations. The new law also prohibits job discrimination by firms with 25 or more employees. Enforcement will depend primarily on citizens or groups that file federal lawsuits.

Restaurants won’t have to provide menus in Braille, but they will have to provide employees who can read the menu to blind customers.

Some changes, such as repositioning shelves, are cheaper to make than others. A business won’t have to make changes that would threaten the firm’s financial health. The new law, however, guarantees broad and equal access where reasonably possible.

The American With Disabilities Act requires the physical barriers to come down. What about the social barriers? America needs no second-class citizens.