How the ADA Changed the Built World | Crip Camp | Netflix

Summary

The script discusses the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on the built environment, highlighting how it has improved accessibility for disabled individuals through architectural changes like ramps, elevators, and curb cuts. Despite progress, the ADA is not universally applied, and the narrator emphasizes the need for continued societal change to ensure full participation of people with disabilities. The ADA's principles of universal design benefit everyone, not just those with disabilities.

Takeaways

• 🏢 The 'Built World' refers to human-made structures and spaces that significantly impact how we live and work.
• 🚧 Before disability rights laws, many public places like restaurants and schools were not designed with disabled people in mind, leading to significant barriers to access.
• 📜 The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and its Section 504, which prohibits discrimination against disabled people in federally funded programs, was a precursor to the ADA.
• 🌟 The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), signed in 1990, was the result of years of advocacy and protest, including by disabled teenagers from Camp Jened.
• 🚶‍♂️ The ADA mandates that physical environments, including public transportation and buildings, must be architecturally accessible to people with disabilities.
• 🚻 Changes brought by the ADA can be as small as inches, like the width of a bathroom stall, or as large as entirely new structures being created for accessibility.
• 🚌 Public transportation has become more accessible with features like ramps and elevators, thanks to the ADA.
• 🛣️ Curb cuts, those small ramps in pavements, were made mandatory by the ADA to help wheelchair users and visually impaired people navigate streets safely.
• 🅿️ The ADA has transformed parking lots with reserved spaces that are not only designated for disabled individuals but also designed for ease of vehicle exit.
• 🏠 The interiors of buildings, including the height of sinks and the width of stalls in bathrooms, have been made more accessible in line with ADA guidelines.
• 🌐 While the ADA has made significant strides, there are still areas, like some subway stations and restaurants, that are not fully compliant, indicating ongoing work is needed for universal accessibility.

Q & A

What does the term 'Built World' refer to in the context of the script?

The 'Built World' refers to the human-made physical structures and spaces that determine how we live and where we work.

How did the physical environment change for people with disabilities before the laws were passed?

Before laws were passed, places like restaurants, doctors' offices, and schools were not made with disabled people in mind, presenting barriers such as stairs, narrow doorways, and no curb cuts.

What was the significance of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Section 504?

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, specifically Section 504, prohibited federally funded programs, agencies, and buildings from discriminating against disabled people, paving the way for the ADA.

What was the role of Camp Jened in the advocacy for disability rights?

Camp Jened was a summer camp in Upstate New York where a group of disabled teenagers organized advocacy and protest efforts that contributed to the passage of laws like the ADA.

What are some of the changes brought about by the ADA to the built world?

The ADA made it a legal requirement for physical landscapes to be architecturally accessible to disabled people, including employment discrimination protection and architectural changes like ramps, accessible seating, and elevators.

What was life like for people with disabilities before the ADA, according to Jim LeBrecht?

Before the ADA, life was very difficult for people with disabilities as they faced challenges accessing movie theaters, bathrooms, and many other places due to the lack of accessibility.

How has public transportation changed due to the ADA?

Public transportation has become more accessible with features like ramps, accessible seating, and elevators in some subway stations, allowing people with physical disabilities to travel more easily.

What is the purpose of curb cuts in sidewalks?

Curb cuts are small ramps built into the pavement to allow disabled persons, especially those in wheelchairs, to safely navigate the streets and to help blind or low vision pedestrians know when they have reached a street.

What changes have been made to parking lots due to the ADA?

For every 25 parking spaces in a lot, at least one must be for accessible parking, and some of those spaces must be wide enough for a person with a disability to safely exit a vehicle.

How do the interiors of buildings need to change to be ADA-compliant?

Building interiors need to include features like wide bathroom stalls for wheelchair access, sinks at the right level with leg space, and ramps to overcome architectural barriers.

What is the narrator's view on the current state of accessibility in the built world?

The narrator believes that while the ADA has improved accessibility, it is incomplete and not universally applied, meaning people with disabilities cannot fully participate in their communities.

What is the concept of universal design mentioned in the script?

Universal design is the idea that if something is designed or made to work for all people, it will be better for everybody, leading to more inclusive and accessible environments.