Americans with Disabilities Act turns 20.

This is a good thing and finally was made law a half a century to late.

There is still a long way to go, I have noticed that most parking lots do not have enough Handicap spots. There are days that I am good to go and others where its all I can do to walk to the other room, I guess because of this I am now more aware of what it takes to be mobile. I am more aware of which stores have power scooters with a basket to do shopping with and which stores don't.

Its about empowerment,

When I moved to St Louis in 1995 my next door neighbor had a daughter with spinal bifida. I would watch her each morning crawl out of her wheel chair and crawl down the steps of their apt. back into the chair to another set of steps, then finally out to the bus that picked her up, the same would happen when she returned home. Easter Seals and the Shriners finally came in and built a back porch that went to a lift, they laid a new walk from the back yard to the street. As I watched her us this for the first time she did not need to say anything, it was written all over her face. It was that look that a kid gives when he gets that bike he wanted for Christmas. What she got was a bit of dignity. I have supported Easter Seals and the Shriners ever sense.

River

Ain't THAT the truth? I can never find disabled parking at the hospitals! The people that plan the parking spaces need to recognize that disability comes in all forms. Locally, handicapped spots are often far away from the doors, and I'm not allowed to park in van spots, because I don't use a lift.

I too use the scooters, but all too often, the batteries are dead, leading to the embarrassing condition of being stranded in the back of the store with no one to help you. Some people like me cannot wait in line without being able to sit down. Some people like me can't tolerate small children kicking the back of my seat in restaurants and theaters.

But, more on topic, There CAN be more spaces for the moderately physically impaired, with less space for wheelchair access for the rest of us. WVU Medical center has taken the lead there, with hundreds of spaces. And 20 years later, how can cities STILL be building unusable and dangerously steep ramps? The foremans, supervisors, and mayors over such projects should have to navigate a manual wheelchair, with their legs tied down, over every ramp and lift to determine if they are safe. Maybe THEN things would improve.

I agree, 50 years too late for sure. The law should have been signed around the time of the invention of the wheelchair. 19th century?

keep on trying, and don't give up!

Buddy.

What gets me is super markets that have 6 or 8 spots, they are always full.

The VA Hospital in Minneapolis has one lot just out in front that is nothing but handicap parking, about 75 or so spots and another 70 at the other end. Never had a problem finding a spot there.

Wally world is ok, they have enough parking spots, so does target.

And some places like the local Fleet Farm has about 20 or so, they only need about 4. but thats ok, better 15 to many then 1 not enough.