Disabled Discrimination; "THE SOLID STEEL CEILING"

By Clyde K "Pete" Shideler

Attitudes are the outgrowth of myths, misconceptions and stereotypes. They affect our actions, decisions, our daily lives and thus they affect others and justice. The list of injustices and discrimination toward people with disabilities are legion and cover a very broad spectrum.

Disabled Discrimination; "THE SOLID STEEL CEILING"

It happened more than two weeks ago when Mary Yoshisato, her husband and her guide dog, Decker, went to a Rite-Aid drugstore . Yoshisato was in the drugstore with Decker when the manager ordered her to take the dog outside. Yoshisato explains, I offered him copies of the laws, Decker's official I.D. and I told him I wasn't tying my dog outside. State law makes it a misdemeanor to deny access to any person's accredited service animal.
She called the Sheriffs Department for help but the deputy was unaware of the law and told her it was a civil matter and that there was nothing he could do. She filed a criminal complaint. Tuesday, the District Attorney says that after talking with the store manager, he won't pursue it in court. The DA said, I'm not sure what that would accomplish.

Attitudes are the outgrowth of myths, misconceptions and stereotypes. They affect our actions, decisions, our daily lives and thus they affect others and justice. The list of injustices and discrimination toward people with disabilities are legion and cover a very broad spectrum.

First, when we speak of a person as being disabled, the first thought most people have is of a person in a wheelchair. When we are told this is not the case, most then think of a person who is blind or a person who is deaf. While those in these three groups of people with disabilities are numerous, they are only a small percentage of the total number of people with disabilities. People with Developemental Disabilities, Epilepsy, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Mental Disorders and a very long list of other disabilities, while less visible, are ALL covered by the ADA and need various accomodations.

"People with disabilities are few", actually they are the largest minority and number more than 1 in 6 americans. People with disabilities are not "really people and do not have feelings". Another very common misconception is, Disability is inability, a monolithic portrait of people with disabilities. Our inability to perform some tasks is, most people believe, confirmation of this concept. Everything is measured with "their" yardstick. Most cases of inability to perform a task is not due to a persons disability, but "IS" due to improper design, manufacture, construction, laws, policies, procedures or methods and this lack of access is discrimination. Even internet access has been mandated, yet very few sites are accessible.

Here is another story of ongoing discrimination that I hope will interest you. Being the first blind, multiple disabled candidate in California and the first "to open doors and to build bridges", involves raising the awareness of others to the barriers and discrimination that must be removed. I look at it all, as an educational process, for me and for those who are a part of the electoral process.

First the voter registration forms are not accessible, so I sent a letter to the County Registrar of voters and Secretary of State, Bill Jones. I have had no response from the Secretary of State on this "access issue". The Registrar of Voters "passed the buck" and responsibility to the Secretary of State.

The FPPC (Fair Political Practices Commission) finally sent the forms in an accessible format, but they arrived the day before they were required to be filed. The most recent word from FPPC was that they are revising their policies and web site access. The City Clerk's office, after a long delay, sent a part of the candidate registration and other forms in a text format, as I had asked, but these were "compacted" and would not work on my system and were too late to be of use. After more than two weeks time and much effort, the problem was solved, only to result in more materials being sent in an improper format that I was unable to use. Again more time was lost and energy expended to correct this problem, which has been followed by more "print letters" from the city and others. Most of my communication is done thru E-mail or cassette tapes or computer disk. Like the vast majority of those with visual impairments, I do not read braille. It is a civil rights violation to send or give "print" materials to a "print disabled person", because this include many other disability groups who also do not read "print". It applies, as well, to ALL forms of "informational signs"..

An interesting point was that both FPPC and the California Secretary of State said in response to my initial complaint, that "discrimination" is not an issue that they will handle. I was referred to the Attorney General. Complaints were filed with both the State and Federal Attorneys General and the Federal Election Commission. The California Attorney General is now involved in the matter.

There are other factors that are "creating additional challenges for me to overcome". In violation of the law and inspite of my requests, the "print letters" continue to arrive. At meetings, forums and other events, I am expected to sit or remain in one position for long periods, which creates intense pain for me and can result in serious problems. These functions usually include lots of people moving about and talking. For a person, who is blind, this becomes very disorienting and creates a state of confusion. Most people with disabilities, also, will not tell the "entire story" about their disabilities. This is because there are those in our society who use this information to bully, harass, threaten and assault the person with a disability.

People with disabilities are "people" that are seeking nothing more than full and total participation in the "American Dream" and society. They are asking only to be included, not excluded from mainstream America. Your efforts to provide access can be a major part of making that dream come true and it says loud and clear to people with disabilities, "you are welcome to join us". Acceptance is important to us ALL.

"Residents are PRIORITY 1"

Thank you