Disability Thinking Weekday: 6/24/24
Hotel accessibility, school segregation, and disability on TV
Three disability-related links for Monday, June 24, 2024.
1. Marriott Agrees To Better Accommodate Guests With Disabilities
Shaun Heasley, Disability Scoop - June 11, 2024
Source: paid subscriber Franke James
“The allegations stemmed from a 2010 Justice Department regulation known as the Reservations Rule that clarified that the ADA requires hotels to provide reservations for accessible rooms on an equal basis with other rooms. A separate rule known as the ADA Standards for Accessible Design, which was also updated in 2010, mandates that hotels provide a minimum number of accessible rooms and offer choices of the types of accessible guest rooms.”
In her email sharing this article, Franke James writes: “I read the article in Disability Scoop. Americans are fortunate to have the ADA and DoJ officials who demand compliance. Canada would do well to follow your example."
I would just add that it’s interesting to read about how ADA cases are settled. It often — or maybe usually — involves more than a fine. Settlements typically include orders to make specific corrections, and mechanisms for followups to check on compliance. And I do remember back when the ADA first passed and was being implemented, that the emphasis in enforcement was going to be on fixing problems rather than just punishment. That said, a $50,000 fine for a huge company like Marriot, which shortchanged accessibility across their whole reservation system, seems a little weak. We are indeed lucky to have the ADA. But it’s not nearly as intimidating to businesses, in a useful way, as disability activists hoped when they fought for it.
2. DOJ says Utah violates civil rights by 'segregating' adults with intellectual disabilities
Bridger Beal-Cvetko, KSL.com - June 18, 2024
“In a letter to Gov. Spencer Cox, Kristen Clarke, an assistant attorney general with the department's Civil Rights Division, claims the state fails to coordinate services between the various agencies, resulting in adults or youth with disabilities primarily being provided segregated employment, meaning they are often ‘picked up in a van each morning’ to work in a ‘large, warehouse-like facility sometimes called a 'sheltered workshop.'‘ … Once there, according to the letter, they spend ‘hours doing repetitive tasks — like sorting recycling, shredding paper, or folding laundry — often for less than minimum wage.’”
It’s interesting that the Utah state agencies cited in this U.S. Department of Justice finding don’t seem to be arguing that the DOJ’s findings are wrong. They agree that they aren’t fulfilling entirely appropriate goals for what disability services should be like in their state. I wonder how much of the problem is that while the agencies themselves accept the principles and specifics of more genuine inclusion, maybe those standards haven’t found there way fully into the everyday providers, families of disabled people, or disabled Utahns themselves. I’d bet that there are more than a few families that actually think that a van picking up their disabled adult son or daughter every day and taking them to a sheltered workshop to do menial tasks for very little pay is just about right.
3. 12 Shows and Movies That Feature Disability
Kelly Dawson, Tudum By Netflix - May 6, 2024
“In keeping with the mission of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, here are 12 shows and movies to watch featuring disability within a wide range of universal experiences: ambition, friendship, dedication, love, and more. You can find even more great stories on Netflix here.”
I have only seen one out this list of 12 films and TV shows about disability on Netflix. So, while I do like Crip Camp, I can’t really tell if the list overall is good or not. I do recognize a few shows on the list that have decidedly mixed reviews from disabled people themselves. But either way, I feel like I’ve got some catching up to do in keeping track of disability on-screen. Comment below if you have a favorite disability film or TV show, or one you would recommend avoiding.
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