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Arkansas is behind the times here, but the people are friendly to your face at least.  I tried to contact the media before, not about this, when a punk down the street from me was causing some trouble.  I called the police to let them handle it but this guy was friends with the officer (made a complaint about that...nothing happened I know of), he was making threats to me and even tried to smack me.  Then I found out that he was making meth in his house with two kids living in it, cops still will not even look into it.  So I thought of contacting the media about the whole thing (even names and address) and I got the brush off.  I guess you need to know someone around here to get anything done...

ArkanzanWheeler:

You all are talking about turning these people in, the question I have is turn them in to who?  O'Reilly's Autoparts stores here have 32" isles, my chair will not fit but the store manager states they are within regulation.  I have tried to even email the main company, ADA website, and local government offices and I can not find anyone who will actually do anything!  The McCain Mall here is the same way, there are stores in it with narrow isles.  Even big names stores like Dillards (I was there with my gf at the time, otherwise I would never go there) have narrow isles in parts of the store.  If someone has a 1800 number I will put it in my cell phone and give them some work...

Check it out: http://www.disaboom.com/forums/p/11141/36396.aspx#36396

ArkanzanWheeler:

I guess you need to know someone around here to get anything done...

Unfortunately, I think that's true everywhere. They used to have advocacy people on the news, watchdog type things, but I don't think anyone does that anymore.

In terms of fighting for accessibility, another good resource for community support is the local Independent Living Center.  If you are in Little Rock, there should be one such center.

Arkansanwheeler:

 

I sugjest you go to the ADA.gov website. that is the ada in its entirety. look up status reports as these become case law. Just read through the ones under title two and title three. Find the ones that closely resemble your problem. The ADA information line is on there but I think it is useless. You have to write to the justice department. Remember when it comes to accessibility see if the building is pre 1992 or after. Another problem exists in which the state and local building departments are telling builders they can build this way and not that way. So the store may be correct that they thought they were in compliance. If an isle is unpassable they have to offer assistance to you in retrieving the merchandise for you. I gaurantee if all wheelchair users make the employee's chase down what their looking for they will eventually comply. if they don't help you then you got them by the perverbial neck. On the ADA.GOV web site order your free copy of the ADA on cd rom.

As for doing anything we have to do it ourselves. You have the right to enforce the ADA through private lawsuits. Look for a lawyer who handles civil law and like I said before the ADA hotline is not a good choice for information. We have to form a national ADA group on our own. Like I said before we are now over 50 milion strong and getting stronger everyday with the war in Iraq. I sugjest if anyone can afford it to get trained by the keybridge foundation in Washington d. c...

The problem with advocacy people is that 99% meet for coffee once a month and do not go out in the field. The cities are forming their own groups made up of who they want this way if the group approves what they want they can pull the wool over the Justice department eyes.

As for the drug issues you have to have 100% facts to back you up. As for the kid who abuses people get a video camera and carry it with you. Pictures are what the media wants. I think Kodak has one out for $79.00.. As for drugs have hard facts and call your county drug enforcement agency or the FBI office.

Hello TK:

 

What area of law do you practice? I'll be graduating in September with my bachelors in legal studies. I am already trained by the Keybridge foundation. maybe together we can start a new ADA group that actually does something. I think a start would be to open a ADA Enforcement group. You must have access to lawyers around the country that would be willing to work on cases. If we all donated a dollar a month to the organization as a non=profit we can use the money to fund these cases for 99% of lawyers want money up front.