Football and the ADA
Michael Harris, a Marine veteran and deputy executive director of the Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of America, just wants a decent seat to watch the University of Michigan play football. Thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act, he might just have that chance.
According to the Oakland Press, "The 95 wheelchair seats at the 107,501-seat Michigan Stadium are in the second to last top row or in the end zones, making the action hard to see." As the U-M Board of Regents embarks on a major renovation, the ADA has taken center stage. As the Michigan Daily reported:
"They definitely wanted to resolve this issue, but they didn't indicate how far they would go to do that," [Michael] Harris said. "If they make a good faith effort, we're willing to do so also."
University spokeswoman Kelly Cunningham said the meeting was productive and the University will continue to discuss handicapped accessibility with the veterans group.
Equal opportunity, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency are basic human rights to which all disabled Americans are entitled. However, as Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean noted in his July statement commemorating the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, "Today's Republican Party has backed away from those ideals, choosing instead to place their favored special interests and partisan politics ahead of the national interest."
The story at the University of Michigan reminds us that families depend on our strong commitment to the rights for millions of Americans with disabilities.
