Being in Europe reminds me how wonderful the ADA is

[Recursion]

So I'm usually a Europhile trying to convince Americans to be more like them, but the Americans with Disabilities Act really is miles ahead of anything comparable in Europe. Nothing in Paris is accessible for the mobility impaired. This is something Americans really should be grateful for, and probably the only real bright spot in George H W Bush's legacy.

[Freddie]

1. I noticed that in Canada too

Lots of public places with steps-only. They are way ahead of us in practically everything else.

[DemocracyMouse]

10. Perhaps, just a hunch, they are ahead of us in avoiding warfare and the creation of wheelchair-bound

...veterans. Those veterans deserve every possible assistance and accommodation and the argument for the ADA was infused with references to our veterans. The act has been a blessing for everyone, as it turns out, but perhaps Europe does not have the same level of need? They should still build ramps and special parking zones, but they have successfully addressed, at least, one of the root causes of hundreds of thousands of war-induced disabilities (and suicides, broken families, my own included): a military industrial complex eating everyone and every thing in its wake.

[maxsolomon]

13. Are you serious?

"they are ahead of us in avoiding warfare"? Millions of 20th Century dead would disagree.

The ADA is not just about wounded veterans. Europe has just as many disabled who need accommodation; they just have a tougher built environment in which to do that.

[DemocracyMouse]

14. I'm talking about the EU. Post WWII. That war

... should have taught everyone that war is hell. The US got a "hero complex" and dove into Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and is now itching to attack Iran now that Trump blew up the nuckear deal.

[lark]

2. I so agree!

It's not just Paris. We spent the last 4 springs in various parts of Europe and there are no wheelchair ramps anywhere except the very newest of government buildings rebuilt after WW2. i asked our French friend what people who were wheelchair bound did and he said they had to get apts on ground floors, use side delivery entrances if the front was all stairs as is often the case, search the store for a lift. Develop a list of stores that have lifts and don't. America is so far behind Europe in so very many ways, but this is the one area where America shines and where I can really appreciate our advancements. This is what drumpf/PUtin want to take away from us, any progressive ideas so no money is spent on us and the rich can take it all and turn us into serfs.

[shanny]

3. I was wondering what possible benefit

the American Dental Association could offer us that could not also be available to Europeans....

[IronLionZion]

6. They could learn a thing or two

America really pioneered the field of modern dentistry and of course we spend 100 times more on dental treatment than anyone else. Dentistry is a low priority outside the US.

[rownesheck]

4. I remember

working for a man years ago who would get so pissed every time he built a new store because he had to make it ADA compliant. I think the first time I heard him gripe about it, I realized I hated that fucker. He by now is in advanced age and I bet he's thankful as hell for the ADA. He's probably still an asshole, though.

[Iterate]

5. It wasn't GHW Bush, it was Dart, Kennedy and Harkin who made it happen.

Just the sheer scale of trying to retrofit a millennium's worth of construction makes me want to cut Europe some slack, as long as new construction is accessible.

[Merlot]

9. The ADA was a boon for the construction industry

[Ohiogal]

7. I'm surprised Trump hasn't tried to get rid of it.

Didn’t he complain once about being required to have elevator numbers in Braille in his building? And told the builder not to install them, he didn’t care if it was the law or not? He didn’t find it aesthetically pleasing or some shit.

[IronLionZion]

8. Indeed, lots of scenic sites around the world are dangerous or inaccessible to the disabled

Plenty of tourists fall to their deaths taking photos, even if they're not disabled.

Ancient or historical sites might get a pass unless they can add a ramp or elevator somewhere, but new construction should be designed to be accessible.

China has some disability infrastructure in some areas because Deng Xiaoping's son advocated for it after being paralyzed when they threw him out of a window. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deng_Pufang

[Olafjoy]

11. Appalling

I was in London and Paris last month and I was shocked at the complete lack of accessibility at so many hotels, bars, restaurants, museums, busses, and major historical venues. It is shameful. Having things be accessible has the added benefit of making it easier for families with young children in strollers. We were constantly helping moms lift their prams up stairs. I would have done the same for any people with special needs but I never saw anyone. Impossible to navigate. Shame on these countries.

[Ron Obvious]

12. It's not so easy to retrofit accessibility into historical architecture

But you're right. It's certainly easier to get around in the US with disabilities.