The Hard Truth: Millions of Disabled Americans Still Struggle with Basic Accessibility

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Many disabled Americans are being discriminated against every day. The government is doing nothing about this issue. Things need to change. The equality and inclusion of those in wheelchairs should be prioritized when designing public buildings. Disabled people still have the same rights and feelings as those who are abled. Public buildings are for everyone, and no one should be discouraged from going anywhere they please. The layout and architecture of every public building should be thought over carefully before any construction takes place so it will accommodate everyone, abled and disabled people.

One might say, there are numerous disabilities among the American population, so why should the government focus on only one? All disabilities that need structural accommodations should be thought about equally. The author, Catherine A. Okoro, states, “Mobility was the most prevalent disability type (13.7%), followed by cognition (10.8%), independent living (6.8%), hearing (5.9%), vision (4.6%), and self-care (3.7%).” This shows there are many other accommodations that are important to the layout of public buildings. It would not be fair to overlook certain people and prioritize others because of the condition they have.

With that being said, wheelchair users still require more accommodations to be put into place. There are more physical and emotional barriers that are included in using a wheelchair. The ADA Requirements states, “Wheelchairs are considered to have more accessibility requirements than other disabilities due to their primary function as mobility aids for individuals with mobility impairments.” Every day, a person in a wheelchair will have to meet multiple inclined surfaces, whether that might be stairs or a steep hill, so it is important that there should be ramps and elevators close by to accommodate for this inconvenience. There could be doors and bathroom stalls that are unable to allow access to wheelchairs. This should be thought about in the layout planning of a public building. When designing a building, there is much added thought for wheelchair users alone. They should be prioritized when designing public buildings so everything will be accessible for those who need them.

With the extensive design process to make a public building accessible for those in wheelchairs, it sounds extremely expensive. This is simply not the case. The added cost of these accommodations is very minimal. According to the ADA National Network, “The cost of incorporating accessibility features in new construction is less than one percent of construction costs.” That means when a new building is being constructed, taxes of the citizens who live in that certain city will only rise due to the construction of the whole building and not the added accommodations. Also, the company does not have to worry about the financial aspect of incorporating accommodations into their design plan. The cost of adding these certain aspects to the layout is exceptionally low compared to the cost of the whole building.

Unable to access everything in a public building can affect a person’s mental health. They will start to feel self-conscious about their disability because it limits where they can go. In the article, Accessibility of public buildings in the United States: a cross-sectional survey, it says, “People with disabilities discussed how difficulties with accessibility led to problems, such as losing appointments or careers, not feeling welcome, feeling humiliated, and giving up on attempting to access parts of the community.” This is unacceptable to make a person feel this way. The only person who is to blame is the government. There should be certain laws that are enforced more regularly to avoid instances like this.

The overall well-being of people in wheelchairs should be thought about. Their safety should be prioritized. If it is not, they could injure themselves and damage either their wheelchair or their surroundings. The Accessibility barriers of wheelchair users in public spaces articles states, ‘Without accessibility in public spaces, it is dangerous for wheelchair users, so a barrier-free environment is essential for them to participate fully.” A disabled person may be inclined to get out of their wheelchair so they are able to enter the non-accessible building or room that they must enter. This is extremely dangerous and will most likely result in the person injuring themselves. To ensure the safety of everyone in the building, there must be accommodations for those in wheelchairs.

Wheelchair users should not be discriminated against in public spaces. They have the same rights as abled people to be in these buildings. The emotional and physical barriers for those in wheelchairs should be removed so no one may get hurt in the future. There are too many negative consequences of building that are not accessible by wheelchair so something must be changed to counteract these problems. The government should be held accountable for such actions.