THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 27, 1995 TAG: 9508230051
SECTION: REAL LIFE PAGE: K1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ALEXANDRIA BERGER
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
ONE OF THE JOYS of column-writing is hearing from people like Ellen Jones of Virginia Beach.
Though not disabled, she wrote: ``(Your column has) opened my eyes and made me want to help . . . the thousands in our Tidewater area who have a disability. I certainly do believe the disabled need a voice . . . because I have seen many, many abuses and lack of compassion. . . . It's definitely time for a change.''
For the disabled, this column is a forum, according to Linda Harris, 49, of Chesapeake. As a law student at William and Mary, Linda wrote, she has a full life, two grown sons and a supportive spouse, though confined to a wheelchair most of her adulthood. Her dream: to specialize in disability and civil-rights law. She resents it when people pity her. ``What is often more effective is to allow people to understand and appreciate how we, as persons with disabilities, are able to function well in society.''
Curious to see how things were going, I called Linda. She just graduated, took the bar exam, and is planning to open a solo law practice in Chesapeake. Bravo! ``When I became disabled, my son was just five years old, and embarrassed by my disability,'' she said. ``Now he's grown and fine, of course, but it was hard on me and him.
``Would you address this in your column? There's no information out there, to help kids deal with this.''
Good point. Have any of you gone through this with your kids? I'll address this issue in a future column.
From Nanette Emanuel of Norfolk, a poem . . .
Since wheelchairs may be ``Roller-Blades''
In formidable disguise,
They need some special engineers,
Original and wise . . .
Someone who ``hurts'' for someone else -
Closed doors, rude folk who stare -
Who might have friend, or kith and kin,
Who occupies a ``chair,''
The brain that made computers work,
And sent men to the moon,
May bring design, uniquely made,
Tomorrow's not too soon!
For many readers, this column hits home. Dorothy McNicholas sent me the ultimate ``obstacle course'' list of Virginia Beach buildings, ending with the city's Central Library, whose landscape architect planted ``prickly holly bushes against the hand railing. Imagine . . . being stabbed.''
Patricia Lane, injured in a head-on collision in 1981, when a speeding motorist lost control of his car, and Denise Brown, in a wheelchair after 10 back surgeries, both agree with my criticism of access problems at shopping malls. Denise is rightfully furious at abuse of parking spaces that are reserved for the handicapped. She sent me a flier to put on illegally parked vehicles. ``WARNING!!! YOU are parked in a handicapped zone.'' I applaud you, and your city. Virginia Beach just increased the penalties for parking in a handicapped space.
Not so with Kitty Hawk, where Larry Redine lives. The founder of the Dare County chapter of the Governor's Advocacy Committee for Persons with Disabilities, Larry has written letters to the local paper and his congressman, but with no luck.
``Except Nags Head and Southern Shores, the towns don't enforce parking and accessibility laws,'' he wrote in a letter filled with statistics. ``Telling the police doesn't hold much weight. I guess they feel we handicapped have no voting power and that we do not count.''
For Fred Burnett, Suffolk's municipal representative for the National Office on Disability, we have a success story. A ramp was installed at a strip shopping center Fred frequents in Portsmouth. The realtor for the center was under the impression the Americans With Disabilities Act didn't apply to businesses existing prior to the enactment of this legislation. Not so.
As Larry Redine said, ``I could go on. . .,'' but I'm out of space. Thanks for your letters. Keep them coming. You make an impact. by CNB