[Sca-cooks] Wheelchairs- OT- was Cooks Symposium Dec 4

[ranvaig at columbus.rr.com]

I certainly didn't expect anyone to be angry about this for me.  I'm not.

It is a good thing if events can get an accessible site, and I will 
write and say how disappointed I am  to miss the event.  But if it is 
an issue of using an inaccessible building, or using one that is more 
expensive, or unsuitable in other ways .. or not having the event... 
then it is better to have an inaccessible event.

I think that NEW church buildings fall under the Act, but nothing in 
the Act makes them change older buildings.  Our own church went 
through this a few years ago, and built an addition that among other 
things includes an elevator. Building the addition made them subject 
to the Act for the whole building. Making an older building 
accessible can be EXPENSIVE, and if renting the building would force 
them to make the building accessible, we would loose the site, and 
they would simply not rent it.

My sympathies to your husband.  I have arthritis and CAN stand up and 
walk for short distances.. (but not trying to carry the chair up and 
down stairs all day).  Being in a wheelchair all of the time is much 
much worse than being in one most of the time.

Ranvaig
>
>>And honestly, at least on this one, you can't do anything because it is
>>being held in a church which is outside ADA regulations.  Anwhere that is a
>>"public access" environment, MUST comply to ADA specs or they can be sued
>>through the DOJ.  I am not sure, but a church facility that is being
>>commonly rented/used for public assess events may also be subject to ADA
>>regs as well, I would have to go back and research that specific area.
>>
>>Lady Elizabeta of Rundel (whom is becoming very familiar with ADA regs due
>>to hubby breaking his back and ending up in a wheelchair and having to deal
>>with inaccessability on a regular basis.)
>
>That's really odd.  I would have thought that churches would 
>definitely fall under the regulation as they are public buildings.
>Kiri (who's dreading the thought of stairs, especially in winter!!)