[Sca-cooks] Re: I Quit!

[Diamond Randall]

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Wow! A lot happens when you only check your email once a day!  I have read
through the whole thread on "I Quit" and have something new to say.  But first
I would like to establish some credentials.  First, Gorgeous is part of a very
small group on another list -SPCAwascaerfrig, the members of which all camp
together down by the lake at Pennsics.  I am a member of that group/household
too.  I am also a senior architect specializing in ADA compliance
consultation, a paid member of the SCA for over 25 years AND the owner of an
event site utilized by the SCA.  I have served on the Mayo rial Advisory Board
for Handicap Accessibility for Metropolitan Nashville.  So I believe I can
relate fairly well to most, if not all, of the views I have seen expressed so
far.

The most unfortunate and misguided comment I have seen is the following:
>From: Elaine Koogler
>Yeah, I feel quite certain that most, if not all, sites that we would use
>would be subject to the Federal handicapped provisions.  And I feel equally
>certain that those provisions would apply to the SCA...after all, we are, as
>we so proudly broadcast, a non-profit, educational organization.  That's why
>I really believe that we can force the issue with the BoD.

I feel this is very dangerous to pursue.  While this is a very heartfelt and
passionate statement, I feel attaining this would largely destroy the SCA as
we know it now.  To my knowledge there are very few sites that are owned and
controlled by the SCA (directly or member-owners) compared with the very large
requirements even a single kingdom must meet to have a successful event
schedule.  Titles II & III of the ADA relate to government facilities, places
of public accommodation and retail businesses mainly.  Even these have
EXEMPTIONS  and are NOT required to meet ADA if there are mitigating
circumstances.

Some of these exemptions DO apply to facilities that the SCA might use.  An
example is historic preservation.  If the structure is HISTORICALLY
significant and ADA accessibility degrades the quality of that significance,
ADA may not apply and the existing facilities allowed to continue in use.
The ADA compliance may be TECHNICALLY INFEASIBLE or PROHIBITABLY EXPENSIVE
also.  Even the ADA exempts a lot of offices and retail establishments on
second floors.  If the ADA does not apply, there is the fallback of ANSI
regulations but these too are not universal.
How this relates to the SCA directly is that the sites we use a lot may or may
not be required to be ADA or ANSI compliant.  State Parks, for instance, MUST
comply.  But here in Tennessee, our A__Hole governor has CLOSED many of our
parks for lack of funds to run them.  Several groups in Meridies have lost
their traditional (and compliant) event sites.  Churches, another popular site
choice are COMPLETELY EXEMPT from all ADA provisions, though thank heavens,
not the handicap sections of the building codes, so NEW churches generally
will be accessible ( but not completely to ADA standards).  The old churches
do not have to make any changes at all except what they want to do themselves.
Private campgrounds and other large outdoor gathering sites generally do not
have to meet ADA and only provide access under state and city codes.  This is
what the Coopers have to meet at Pennsic.   There IS a designated camping area
near the store at Coopers specifically for meeting handicap
access at Pennsic; but Gorgeous wants to camp at the bottom of a horrific hill
down by the lake with his friends.   I can understand this, but making ALL of
the Pennsic site barrier free isn't going to happen.  The only way such a site
would exist would have to be built on something like the Bonneville Salt
Flats.  It falls under TECHNICAL INFEASIBILITY and PROHIBITABLE EXPENSE.   So
the disabled are going to have to deal with it.   I see a huge effort made at
Pennsic to accommodate electric vehicles, sign for the deaf, access to
permanent facilities (and a LOT of HC Port-o-lets) but overall, the facilities
are mainly temporary (two weeks) in nature and not covered by ADA.  If one
wants to attend and not utilize the facilities which are available, I think
that one should not expect the bounds of honour and chivalry to stretch to the
point of constant personal aid like getting up and down the steep hills.  It
is Your responsibility either to have conveyance capable of climbing the hill
and field terrain Or arrange to have friends who will accept most (not all) of
the burdens encountered.

Now, if a big push goes through and the BOD is hoodwinked into REQUIRING sites
be fully compliant, the prices are going to go through the roof and a huge
number of traditional events are going to disappear.
The current Corpora statement seems as reasonable in setting ideal goals as I
think should be expected.
A forced upon rule for ADA compliance for all sites is going to be about as
achievable as the ridiculous Slavery Reparations debacle being touted about
right now.

Having said this, now I am going to veer in another direction.  There are some
facilities being planned for SCA events that will eventually see completion.
The West Kingdom has a substantial sum ($300,000+) in a nonprofit corporation
dedicated to developing an event site.  Whether or not it is required to be
accessible by ADA or local code, morally,  the SCA should endeavor to make
EVERY aspect of this facility accessible to the highest standards possible.
This is what I am personally doing.  Cumberland (formally Glaedenfeld) Centre
in Middle Tennessee is being designed for full accessibility as far as
possible (only the musicians' balcony of the hall will not be wheelchair
accessible because a $50,000
elevator in a barn is an absurd waste of funds better used to improve access
elsewhere).  This is a very
expensive undertaking, but I feel that full access (even when not required) is
the right thing to do.  As far as relevance to cooking- here it is:   The
large event our shire is holding at Cumberland Centre is being feastcrated by
a lovely lady in a wheelchair.   We may not have the whole kitchen built out
by then, but we do mean to make it an accessible space.  Likewise, the future
Chapel, Library, Guildhalls and other planned developments will be fully
accessible too.  There are proposals for on-site Assisted Living and Nursing
facilities as well, even if they may be years away.  If we are successful here
in in Middle Tennessee, our Board of Directors hope that we can grow to a
point capable of building such a Centre available to every kingdom!

Gorgeous, I feel your pain, but lawsuits aren't the answer.  You are only
enriching scum-sucking lawyers and change is only going to come from within if
it is not forced.   If this issue becomes a huge controversy
and divides us all, the SCA and the Dream will wither and die.   The answer is
awareness of the needs of the handicapped, yes.  But that awareness must be
utilized to find reasonable solutions that are doable
within the resources the SCA has and not to the exclusion of the other
purposes of the organization.
Like the lady who will be feastcrating for us, VOLUNTEER to be autocrat,
co-autocrat, site committee member, whatever.  Make a positive effort to
locate the best facilities for SCA activities you can within
use and budget considerations.  This is much better than dropping bombs on SCA
lists and writing highly critical missives to the SCA board.   Due to many
factors, it will be quite a while before the SCA has available fully
accessible sites suitable to ALL of its myriad activities.   I'm afraid the
disabled will have to pick and choose events which can support their special
needs and eschew all or part of the offered activities at other events.  I
hope you will stick around.  You have a lot to offer and there are a lot of
folks willing to become advocates to support your just cause.  Just don't make
it an issue that will divide rather than build our Society.

For anyone interested in more about Cumberland Centre, please drop a line,
though I may be a bit tardy in reply until after TaxDay.   The Centre is a
501(c)3 exempt organization to which any donations are fully tax deduct able.
We cheerfully accept any donations to help build the Centre; cash, books (for
the library), and other donations to our future educational, archive or museum
programs.

Akim Yaroslavich
AKA Randall W. Diamond


--- Diamond Randall
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