Opening Doors – The Civil Rights Movement Is Still a Work in Progress

First of Two Parts
Recent media coverage of the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides focused on their pivotal role in calling national attention to the need to end racial segregation in our country. Courageous individuals of various races and religions faced sometimes violent reactions as together they rode buses in the segregated South. It was a very visible and ultimately effective sign of their commitment to champion the civil rights of all citizens regardless of race.
By contrast, the movement to ensure the civil rights of individuals with disabilities seems to have had a far less dramatic history. Certainly there have been individuals that have spoken out in support of this civil rights movement as well. But to a great extent this struggle for disability rights and equality has been and continues to be fought in the legislatures and courts.
Though we have come a long way in the letter of the law, civil rights legislation for individuals with disabilities, legislation without enforcement is a hollow victory. So it is encouraging to know that these rights are being successfully defended in ongoing court cases that, though not highly publicized, are effectively advancing the cause.
The website Disability.gov, www. disability.gov/civil_rights/news provides a great sense of the case law continually, it would seem, being added to by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The former agency mainly takes on disability cases in which there are violations involving employment issues. The DOJ cases tend to be broader in scope, taking on private companies, schools and even city governments.
Since January of this year, according to Disability.gov, the DOJ has either negotiated a settlement or pursued in court, cases involving the rights of individuals with disabilities to reasonable accommodation and to accessibility in all aspects of public life. A sampling of these DOJ cases is summarized below:
• Wells Fargo must pay up to $16 million to individuals who were impacted because their website and retail stores weren’t accessible
• The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) was ordered to make their online application process accessible to individuals who are blind
• The Mega Bus Company of Chicago and Elizabeth, NJ must agree to ensure that all their buses are accessible to individuals with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs
• As a result of separate negotiations, the cities of Independence, Kansas; Des Moines, Iowa; and Fairfax, Virginia must improve access to all aspects of civic life for persons with disabilities
• The U.S. DOJ filed suit against the Puerto Rico Department of Justice for failing to provide reasonable accommodation for one of its employees
• Inova Health Systems of Virginia must provide reasonable accommodation, including sign language interpreters for patients receiving medical services at their facilities
Next Time — Part Two: How the EEOC advances the caus of disability rights
DID YOU KNOW?
• They Will Surf Again, a free one-day event that invites young people with spinal cord injury to enjoy the surfing experience, is being held on Sat., June 18 in Wildwood Crest, starting at 9 a.m. Life Rolls On, a subsidiary of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, is the sponsor and provides wetsuits, adaptive surfboards and expert instruction even for those who have never surfed before. Registration for both participants and volunteers is required www. LifeRollsOn.org/TWSAsignup. For more information, contact Life Rolls On at TWSA@liferollson.org or by phone at 310-807-5488.
• Community Quest, Inc., a Community Housing and Employment Service, is sponsoring FUNday at Playland on Wed., June 22, Rain Date is Fri., June 24 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Playland’s Castaway Cove in Ocean City. Wristbands costing $10 can be purchased at noon on that day that entitle the bearer to ride all the rides at Playland, play mini-golf at the Golden Galleon or Seaport Village, and race Go Karts at the Seaside Speedway. For more information visit www.boardwalkfun.com
• A Public Forum for people with disabilities who use or want to use Independent Living (IL) services is being held on Thurs., June 30 from 12:30 to 2 p.m, at Freedom Village at Woodstown. For more information, contact Mary Neary at 732-254-2484 or dinodoll@verizon.net
Pierson is the Coordinator of the Cape May County Office of Disability Services