[link to www.foxnews.com]

Theater owners brace for new rules on accommodating blind, deaf

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Above could become the latest in new laws that require businesses to upgrade their establishments to meet the needs of various types of handicapped people.


I install handicap elevators, ceiling lifts and chairlifts for a living, and am pretty familiar with what the law requires.
Because of my job, I am hearing all of the time from business owners that keeping and maintaining handicap access machines because of how little they are used. A lot of them, especially the smaller businesses, say that very few handicap people actually use them, although they were requested to have such devices installed. Local government regs in Maryland have also recently added new inspections and middleman positions to make things more expensive.

I also communicate everyday with people of various disability, and I see what they have to go through, just to get around their houses. It's sobering to see an elderly woman coming down the steps, one by one, on her backside. I see the difference that these lift devices can make, and having one can mean the difference between staying in your home, and being forced to move to a more manageable abode. For people with children who can't move, ceiling lifts go a long way into taking some of the difficulty from their lives.

But that is in the home. What about in public? Well, we have seen many, many businesses try to make their places more accessible. However, it isn't quite enough.
The above story involves movie theatres allowing blind and deaf people to enjoy movies, by installing certain technological devices, and changing, if not already done, to digital. That's a hefty sum to ask of some small theatres. What to do?

So the question is, to what extent should the government be allowed to regulate "accessibility"? As much as many of us would like to see all handicapped people enjoy life as much as possible, how much more should be done?