Disabled Deserve Complete Access
Congratulations to Art Blaser for his criticism of Orange County officials for their failure to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (Orange County Voices, Sept. 20).
It’s about time Orange County realizes that accessibility to county programs and services includes reasonable accommodations for those with physical disabilities, such as Blaser, and those with mental or cognitive disabilities, such as myself.
I have had a severe traumatic brain injury and strokes. My disabilities are not noticeable to most people. Blaser is in a wheelchair, but my mind and emotions are in a wheelchair in my head. No one can see my wheelchair, but I live with its squeaky wheels every day of my life.
Why is it so difficult for officials to understand such a handicap? Because they don’t want to know about disability. They can’t handle the truth. We people with disabilities are better left out of sight and out of mind. They will try to frustrate us until we stop. It’s not going to work.
I think it is going to take the intervention and enforcement by the departments of Justice and Labor to force them to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act and with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
In the meantime, the disabled wait and suffer discrimination.
KAREN MORIARTY
Lake Forest
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