I remember that, EBarnacle -- it was a piece on This American Life -- the episodes on "Crybabies."

If the civil rights of Disabled Americans had been given more respect at the time, then perhaps the law would have been given more of its own teeth, instead of relying solely on civilians with a litigious bent to do all of the enforcing.

Because Access is a civil right -- it goes straight to the First Amendment the American Constitution, and its provision guaranteeing our right to Freedom of Assembly. It's nigh impossible to join your fellow citizens at a rally, or town meeting hall if you can't get in the building.

One of my online friends is a Disability Rights activist in Canada, working toward her Masters in Disability History, and she made what I thought was an excellent point, the other day:

We don't consider providing doors into the front of a building to be doing someone a favor, or an act of charity. So why do we consider it a very special favor to provide a ramp? Ramps are how you get inside.